Layout Optimization of Planar Braced Frames Using Modified Dolphin Monitoring Operator

Determining the optimum placement of braces in steel frames has always been one of the most challenging issues in structural engineering. In this paper, the size and placement of the X-braces in planar frame structures is determined in a way that the total weight of the braced frames becomes minimum, while satisfying the design requirements and constraints. Variables of the optimization contain the cross sections for beams, columns, and X-braces as well as the placement of these braces in the frames. Attempt has also been made to consider all the constraints of an actual design problem. One of the other objectives of this study is to investigate the effect of including or excluding some of the constraints affecting the optimization of the planar frame design. For this purpose, the Colliding Bodies Optimization (CBO) and CBO-MDM algorithms have been utilized. Modified Dolphin Monitoring (MDM) operator is recently developed for improving the performance of the metaheuristic algorithms. Here, this operator is utilized to enhance the performance of the CBO algorithm to optimize the weight of the frames. For additional comparison of the results, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) are used.