Thermo-active structures represent a relatively new technology for exploitation of geothermal energy as a renewable source. Tunnel linings, retaining walls or piles are typical structures employing this technology, as being buried in the ground they conveniently have large surface areas of interface contact with the ground. Sets of heat exchanger pipes installed within the usually concrete material of these structural elements enable the exchange of heat between the ground and the air, utilising their temperature difference to produce seasonal heating or cooling in buildings. The thermal effects on the structure and on the soil pose additional challenges for standard geotechnical design that is mainly based on mechanical perturbations, therefore requiring advanced computational tools to assess the entirety of the ensuing thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling. This paper presents an overview of the development of such tools with increasing complexity and validation against well-document cases.