Design Optimization of Practical Tall Concrete Buildings Using Hybrid Optimality Criteria and Genetic Algorithms

Abstract

The Optimality Criteria (OC) method has been a widely accepted structural optimization approach for large practical structures although there is no guarantee that the OC approach can always converge to a solution point. Genetic Algorithms (GAs) are gradient-free global searching algorithms, but require large number of reanalyses. In this paper, a hybrid optimization algorithm incorporating the OC and GA methods and utilizing both of their advantages is presented for the design of tall concrete building structures. A practical 42story concrete building is used as the illustrative example and the results are discussed. The so-called hybrid OC-GA method is shown to be efficient and robust for structural optimization of tall concrete buildings.