Among the many challenges faced by the industry, the following stand out: compliance with global climate change regulations; the safety and health monitoring of aging infrastructures, which need to be brought up to modern safety standards; cost overruns due to insufficient analysis at the design stage of the project.

These issues are forcing the industry to invest time and resources in the following areas:

• green buildings, also known as sustainable or high performance buildings; a new field that is gaining quick momentum in the discovery and implementation of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient;
• new manufacturing processes and materials, which are the main drivers for applied research in the field. Materials typical of other industrial disciplines, such as composite materials, are increasingly being used in the construction industry;
• more detailed designs to ensure compliance with a broad range of increasingly demanding technical standards;
• improved assessment and verification of the consequences of rare events associated with significant risk levels for the community in the form of improved fire, seismic and impact analysis of structures in the design phase of a project. The design phase is therefore becoming increasingly important in order to reduce hazards or unexpected circumstances which may have major consequences on the allocated budget.

Today, numerical simulation plays a crucial role in the construction industry. It provides indispensable design tools for the prototyping of new products and structures, resulting in their production at a fraction of the cost that would be incurred if extensive physical testing was used instead. Structural analysis, in which numerical simulation techniques have become the industry standard, provides a palpable example of this.