Optimization-Based Economical Flexural Design of Singly Reinforced Concrete Beams: A Parametric Study

Abstract

In the past, many studies have been conducted on the optimization of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. These studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of different optimization techniques to obtain an economical design. However, the use of optimization techniques to an obtain economical design is not so practical due to the difficulty in applying most of the optimization techniques to achieve an optimal solution. The RC beam is one of the most common structural elements encountered by a practising design engineer. The current study is designed to highlight the potential of the Solver tool in MS Excel as an easy-to-use option for optimizing the design of simply supported RC beams. A user-friendly interface was developed in a spreadsheet in which beam design parameters from a typical design can be entered and an economical design can be obtained using the Evolutionary Algorithm available in the MS Excel Solver tool. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed optimization tool, three examples obtained from the literature have been optimized. The results showed that up to 24% economical solution can be obtained by keeping the same material strengths that were assumed in the original design. However, if material strength is also considered as a variable, up to 44% of the economical solution can be obtained. A parametric study was also conducted to investigate the effect of different design variables on the economical design of simply supported RC beams and to derive useful rules of thumb for their design and proportioning, with the objective of cost minimization. The results of the parametric study suggest that the grade of the reinforcing steel is one of the most influential factors that affect the cost of simply supported RC beams. Practicing engineers can use the trends derived from this research to further refine their optimal designs.

Theoretical and Experimental Substantiation of the Efficiency of Combined-Reinforced Glass Fiber Polymer Composite Concrete Elements in Bending

“…Finally, from a price point of view, the cost of our elements is reduced and is more economical, as confirmed by our economic analysis. This is in good agreement with the results of the authors [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]35,[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50].…”

“…Our results showed a higher bearing capacity and especially in combination with the fact that the mass of our elements is less than sim- Next, consider the constructive effect we have achieved, it consists of improving the performance of an improved design due to the synergistic effect of fiber reinforcement of bending elements and in combination of such dispersed reinforcement with polymer composite reinforcement with rods. In this regard, our results seem to be effective in comparison with the results of the authors [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Our results showed a higher bearing capacity and especially in combination with the fact that the mass of our elements is less than similar reinforced concrete elements.…”

“…Next, consider the constructive effect we have achieved, it consists of improving the performance of an improved design due to the synergistic effect of fiber reinforcement of bending elements and in combination of such dispersed reinforcement with polymer composite reinforcement with rods. In this regard, our results seem to be effective in comparison with the results of the authors [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Our results showed a higher bearing capacity and especially in combination with the fact that the mass of our elements is less than sim- Next, consider the constructive effect we have achieved, it consists of improving the performance of an improved design due to the synergistic effect of fiber reinforcement of bending elements and in combination of such dispersed reinforcement with polymer composite reinforcement with rods.…”

“…The improvement of reinforced concrete bending elements is the most relevant at the present time and has already been considered in many studies, for example, in [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. In this case, various improvement methods are used: reinforcement with polymer composite materials [2,5,8,[10][11][12][13]15,16], various fibrous materials [6,9,14], Fe-SMA activation [3], and cathode-ray tubes made of glass waste [7].…”

“…In this case, various improvement methods are used: reinforcement with polymer composite materials [2,5,8,[10][11][12][13]15,16], various fibrous materials [6,9,14], Fe-SMA activation [3], and cathode-ray tubes made of glass waste [7]. The economic aspect was also considered-the cost of reinforced concrete beams largely depends on the brand of reinforcing steel [1].…”