Evolutionary Algorithm for Performance-Based Shear Wall Placement in Buildings Subjected to Multiple Load Types

Shear walls have very high in-plane stiffness and strength, which can be used to simultaneously resist large horizontal loads and support gravity loads, making them quite advantageous in many structural engineering applications. Structures must perform safely when subjected to numerous types of loading while still remaining aesthetic and fully functional. The nature of shear wall design in building structures is a difficult task, particularly if one wants to place the shear walls in such a way that the cost is minimal while still satisfying specific performance objectives when subjected to natural and human-induced loads. This paper presents the concept and formulation of an evolutionary algorithm for shear wall placement for several different load types under competing objectives and several simplified illustrative examples are presented for demonstration purposes. The example applications include cases for (1) static wind load; (2) dynamic blast load for a small car load of explosives; and (3) dynamic blast load for a semitrailer load of explosives. A three-dimensional finite-element model was developed and applied to analyze the performance requirements and was fully coupled in time with the evolutionary algorithm in order to identify the optimal solution. The evolutionary algorithm coupled with the numerical structural model presented herein shows promise for many different building subassemblies and components beyond shear walls. It is envisioned that this type of algorithm can be extended to include all types of building assemblies (i.e., columns and beams), resulting in an increased general robustness of building regardless of hazard type.