Optimum Seismic Design of Steel Buildings Using Genetic Algorithms

The aim of this work is to study the optimum design of moment resisting steel frame based on the modern technique of Continuous Genetic Algorithm. With this technique, one can benefit from capabilities of traditional genetic algorithm without reformulation of the problem in the binary system. Matlab program is used in coding process of the continuous genetic algorithm. Frame topology is assumed predefined based on architectural and functional requirements. Columns and beams sections and different connections details are the main design variable in this study. Columns and beams are grouped to reduce number of design variables and to make the problem similar to that adopted in engineering practice. Explicit function formulation with the meta-model makes classical and metaheuristic optimization algorithms, which have been developed and tested in other disciplines, directly applicable for structural optimization problems. Finally, eighteen case studies were considered. Nine case studies for optimum weight and nine case studies for optimum cost. Different number of stories, different number of bays, and different connection details were considered.