Optimization of steel floor systems using particle swarm optimization

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used for the design of composite and non-composite steel floor systems. The design problem is the minimization of the mass or the cost of a steel floor configuration subject to constraints related to the Canadian S16 design standard. The PSO algorithm was applied to three different steel floor bays. Outputs returned are the girder and beams sizes, steel deck profile, concrete slab thickness, number of interior beams and the number of steel studs needed per beam. Results show the PSO can consistently find the optimum floor configuration by minimizing the total mass or cost while satisfying all design criteria.

► Minimization of the weight of a steel floor configuration subject to design constraints. ► Particle swarm optimization finds the optimum floor design satisfying Canadian S16 standards. ► Design criteria also include floor acceleration limits according to ASIC Design Guide Series 11. ► Optimization of composite and non composite steel floor configurations. ► Algorithm finds the size of girders, secondary beams, stud spacing and concrete thickness.