Threshold accepting optimization of road vaults and rectangular hollow bridge piers

Abstract

This paper deals with the economic optimization of reinforced concrete road vaults and with the optimization of rectangular hollow section bridge piers typically used in road construction. It shows the efficiency of a heuristic optimization by the threshold accepting algorithm. The evaluation of solutions follows the Spanish Code for structural concrete. Design loads are in accordance to the national IAP Code for road bridges. The algorithm is firstly applied to a RC hydraulic vault of 4.00 m of horizontal span and 800 m of length. This example has 23 discrete design variables, 3 geometrical, 3 of materials and 17 of reinforcement. Stress resultants and envelopes of vault structures are computed by an internal matrix method program. Best results amount to 958 euros/m and they indicate savings of about 8% with respect to the prior real design office calculations. The second structure analysed is a 24 m RC vertical height bridge pier of hollow rectangular cross-section, which supports the main span of a prestressed concrete road bridge of 60-90-60 meters of longitudinal spans. This example has 95 discrete variables, 15 geometrical, 7 types of concrete and 73 types of reinforcement bars of fixed length. The evaluation module includes the limit states that are commonly checked in design: flexure, shear, deflections, buckling, etc. Results indicate savings of about 30% with respect to the design based on the experience of the bridge designers. Finally, results indicate that heuristic optimization is a forthcoming option for improving the design costs of real RC structures.

Multiobjective Optimization of Concrete Frames by Simulated Annealing

“…The use of nonevolutionary algorithms is scarce, exceptions being, for instance, in the research of Balling and Yao (1997) and Ceranic et al (2001). Recently, our research group has also used nonevolutionary algorithms to optimize earth retaining walls, portal and box road frames, building framed structures, road vaults, and bridge piers (Gonzalez‐Vidosa et al, 2005; Perea et al, 2006a, 2006b, 2008; Paya et al, 2006a, 2006b; Carbonell et al, 2007; Yepes et al, 2008).…”

Heuristic optimization of prestressed concrete precast pedestrian bridges

“…Recently, there have been a number of RC applications [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], which optimize RC beams and building frames by genetic algorithms. Also recently, our research group has applied simulated annealing and threshold acceptance to the optimization of walls, frame bridges, building frames, vaults and bridge piers [21][22][23][24][25].…”

Optimización Heuristica Multiobjetivo De Cimentaciones De Soportes en Medianeria.

“… En 2007 y 2008 Carbonell et al [110] [11], y en 2009 Carbonell [112], en su Tesis Doctoral, estudian la aplicación de los algoritmos de optimización de Simulated Annealing (SA) y TA en el diseño de bóvedas de hormigón armado para pasos de carretera. Se tienen en cuenta en el análisis hasta 21 variables de diseño entre las que se encuentra el tipo de hormigón a disponer.…”