This paper surveys trends in the analysis and design of steel framed structures with reference to design codes such as the US AISC Specification, the UK BS5950, the Australian AS4100, the European EC3, and the Hong Kong Code of Practice. The paper provides a brief timeline of the development of steel design codes over the past 80 years, summarises the methods of analysis and design now permitted in codes, discusses some of the shortcomings of present design codes, and suggests future areas for improvement.
It is concluded that future design codes might allow the use of purpose-built computer programs which can provide accurate predictions of member strength, and might only describe the characteristics of the methods of structural analysis and the member design strengths which may be used. Such a code would have some of the present member strength inaccuracies and shortcomings removed and allow them to be replaced by the more accurate member strength computer programs. By Trahair, N.S., University of Sydney School of Civil Engineering Research Report R926.
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