OPTIMAL STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES – REVIEW OF EXISTING SOLUTIONS CONSIDERING APPLICABILITY ASPECT

Abstract

During the past two decades, rapid advances in information technology have improved theaccuracy and capabilities of optimization techniques. Unfortunately, great number ofoptimization methods in civil engineering has not found implementation in practice, mainlybecause the problems were treated only from mathematical point of view, disregardingapplicability of obtained solutions in reality. Since the aim of any optimization method isdeveloping methodology that would successfully imitate human reasoning, it is necessary todevelop adequate approach that would obtain realistic and applicable solutions. This paperprovides basic facts of the optimal reinforced structures design, problem classification,mathematic definition and applicability aspect, as well as preview of methods and referencesavailable in the literature.