New method for the estimation of strong ground motions based on the colonial competitive algorithm

Abstract

This paper is aimed at presenting a new method on the basis of the colonial competitive algorithm to predict horizontal peak ground acceleration and spectral acceleration. The colonial competitive algorithm was developed over the last few years in an attempt to overcome inherent limitations of traditional optimize method. The proposed method employs the optimization capabilities of the colonial competitive algorithm to determine the coefficients of attenuation relationships of peak ground acceleration and spectral acceleration. This method was applied to an ensemble of earthquake records of two seismic zones, namely Zagros and Alborz-Central Iran. The obtained results clearly reveal that the colonial competitive algorithm can be viewed as a powerful and reliable tool for solving complex optimization problems such as attenuation relationship.