The distribution of load has high uncertainty, which is the main cause of a rack structure’s instabilities. The objective of this study was to identify the most unfavorable and favorable load distributions on steel storage racks with and without bracings under seismic loading through a stochastic optimization—a genetic algorithm (GA). This paper begins with optimizing the most unfavorable and favorable load distributions on the steel storage racks with and without bracings using GA. Based on the optimization results, the failure position and seismic performance influencing factors, such as the load distributions on the racks and at hazardous positions, are then identified. In addition, it is demonstrated that the maximum stress ratio of the uprights under the most unfavorable load distribution is higher than that under the full-load normal design, and it is not the case that the higher the center of gravity the more dangerous the steel storage rack is, demonstrating that the load distribution pattern has a significant impact on the structural safety of steel storage racks. The statistics of the distributions of the load generated during the optimization of the GA and the contours of the probability distributions of the load are generated. Combining the probability distribution contours and the GA’s optimization findings, the “convex” distribution hazard model and the “concave” distribution safety model for a steel storage rack with bracings are identified. In addition, the features of the distribution hazard model and the load distribution safety model are also identified for steel storage racks without bracings.

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The high yielding strength of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) provides great opportunities for cold-formed steel (CFS) members with much higher load-carrying capability. However, if manufactured into the traditional cross-section shapes, such as C and Z, the material advantage cannot be fully exploited due to the cross-section instabilities. The purpose of this study was to establish a shape optimization method for cold-formed sections with AHSS and explore the potentially material efficiency that AHSS could provide to these sections in terms of their axial strength. In this study, the insights provided from the elastic buckling analysis and nonlinear finite element (FE) simulations of a set of traditional CFS sections were employed to determine the appropriate section size and length for optimization. Then, the optimization method was established using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm with the integration of computational analysis through CUFSM and the design approach (i.e., the direct strength method, DSM). The objective function is the maximum axial strength of the CFS sections manufactured with AHSS using the same amount of material (i.e., the same cross-section area). Finally, the optimal sections were simulated and verified by FE analysis, and the characteristics of the optimal cross-sections were analyzed. Overall, the optimization method in this paper achieved good optimization results with greatly improved axial strength capacity from the optimal sections.