Interactive evolutionary multi-objective optimization and decision-making on life-cycle seismic design of bridge

Abstract

Considering future seismic risk and life-cycle cost, the life-cycle seismic design of bridge is formulated as a preference-based multi-objective optimization and decision-making problem, in which the conflicting design criteria that minimize life-cycle cost and maximize seismic capacity are treated simultaneously. Specifically, the preference information based on theoretical analysis and engineering judgment is embedded in the optimization procedure. Based on reasonable displacement ductility, the cost preference and safety preference information are used to progressively construct value function, directing the evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithm’s search to more preferred solutions. The seismic design of a reinforced concrete pier is presented as an application example using the proposed procedure for the global Pareto front corresponding with engineering designers’ preference. The results indicate that the proposed model is available to find the global Pareto front satisfying the corresponding preference and overcoming the difficulties of the traditional multi-objective optimization algorithm in obtaining a full approximation of the entire Pareto optimal front for large-dimensional problems as well as cognitive difficulty in selecting one preferred solution from all these solutions.