This paper investigated the optimization of a singly reinforced concrete beam using the Simulated Annealing. The code provisions usually lead to the overestimation of reinforcement and thus an expensive cost of construction. The optimized design reduces the cost significantly. There are many methods of structural optimization but Simulated Annealing has been found to very efficient for constrained optimization of reinforced concrete beam design. The variables considered are the width, depth, compression steel, tension steel, and cost while the constraints are steel ratios, ultimate moment of resistance, maximum and minimum areas of reinforcements Materials costs are considered as the objective function. It is demonstrated that using the concrete compressive strength of 25MPa, Simulated Annealing can be used to optimize the design of concrete beams effectively. The results also indicate that the complications connected to the actual and genuine evaluation of costs of structures and the connectivity with the compulsory restraints can be adequately resolved using this method.

The optimization of the doubly reinforced concrete beam was investigated in this paper using the simulated annealing. Materials costs are considered as the objective function. The variables are the width, depth, compression steel, tension steel and cost. The constraints are the ultimate moment of resistance, compression/tension-steel ratio, minimum and maximum area of reinforcements. At the concrete compressive strength of 25 MPa, it is demonstrated that simulated annealing method can be used to optimize the design of concrete beams.