Optimum design of braced steel frames via teaching learning based optimization

In this study, optimum structural designs of braced (non-swaying) planar steel frames are investigated by using one of the recent meta-heuristic search techniques, teaching-learning based optimization. Optimum design problems are performed according to American Institute of Steel Construction-Allowable Stress Design (AISC-ASD) specifications. A computer program is developed in MATLAB interacting with SAP2000 OAPI (Open Application Programming Interface) to conduct optimization procedures. Optimum cross sections are selected from a specified list of 128W profiles taken from AISC. Two different braced planar frames taken from literature are carried out for stress, geometric size, displacement and inter-storey drift constraints. It is concluded that teaching-learning based optimization presents robust and applicable optimum solutions in multi-element structural problems.