Seismic design of steel frames using multi-objective optimization

In this study a multi-objective optimization problem is solved. The objectives used here include simultaneous minimum construction cost in term of sections weight, minimum structural damage using a damage index, and minimum non-structural damage in term of inter-story drift under the applied ground motions. A high-speed and low-error neural network is trained and employed in the process of optimization to estimate the results of non-linear time history analysis. This approach can be utilized for all steel or concrete frame structures. In this study, the optimal design of a planar eccentric braced steel frame is performed with great detail, using the presented multi-objective algorithm with a discrete population and then a moment resisting frame is solved as a supplementary example.