Comparative Study on Optimization of Cantilever Retaining Walls via Several Metaheuristics

In this study, using metaheuristic algorithms, reinforced concrete retaining walls under static and dynamic loads were dimensioned and designed with optimum cost. Reinforced concrete design was made following the rules of the Turkey Building Earthquake Code (TBDY 2018). The objective function of the optimization problem is defined depending on the reinforced concrete section dimensions and the minimization of the reinforcement area. In the studies developed to find the lowest cost, four different metaheuristic algorithms (Jaya algorithm (JA), teaching-learning-based optimization algorithm (TLBO), flower pollination algorithm (FPA), and harmony search algorithm (HS)) were used. When the optimization results using metaheuristic algorithms were evaluated, it was determined that the methods were successful in finding low-cost reinforced concrete designs. In addition, it has been seen that all algorithms used in retaining wall optimization give close and effective results with each other. Thus, with the developed method, it is possible to minimize the cost in structural design and the targeted results can be achieved in a shorter time.