A direction of structural design code modernisation based on market demand

During my career, I was lucky to observe rapid development of methods of geotechnical analysis. For example, many years ago a tunnel lining was analysed as a curved beam supported by spring elements and loaded by given loads. 

Later, a boost of software implementing the finite element method let us perform firstly 2D and then 3D analyses of complicated soil-structure interaction systems. And, as a result of computation method progress, these days we can build more and more adversed and challenging structures.

The future looks promising especially with applying 3D finite element models. However, there is a pitfall. Despite having such a powerful tool as 3D analysis, in practice we often struggle to check the structural capacity of tunnel lining using results of such spatial analysis. 

Existing building codes for design of reinforced concrete members regulate performing structural checks based on resulting internal forces and moments acting in members and obtained in classic 2D analysis.

But, most software proposed 3D analyses are not able to give us resulting internal actions ready-made for structural checks. Instead of that, they usually provide us colourful plots of stresses, strains, displacements, sometimes internal actions as well.

Thus, I believe one of the major priorities of building code modernisation in the future should be switching from structural checks based on resulting actions to stress-strain theories, i.e. approaches that allow us to use directly the results of 3D analysis. It makes the life of geotechnical and structural engineers much much easier and helps to advance broader implementing 3D analyses in their daily design work.