Optimum design of shallow foundation using evolutionary algorithms

In the current study, the performance of three evolutionary algorithms, differential algorithm (DE), evolution strategy (ES), and biogeography-based optimization algorithm (BBO), is examined for foundation design optimization. Moreover, four recent variations of evolutionary-based algorithms [i.e., improved differential evolution algorithm based on an adaptive mutation scheme, weighted differential evolution algorithm (WDE), linear population size reduction success-history-based adaptive differential evolution algorithm, and biogeography-based optimization with covariance matrix-based migration] have been tackled for handling the current problem. The objective function is based on the cost of shallow foundation designs that satisfy ACI 318-05 requirements is formulated as the objective function. This study addresses shallow footing optimization with two attitudes, routine optimization, and sensitivity analysis. As a further study, the effect of the location of the column at the top of the foundation is examined by adding two additional design variables. Three numerical case studies are used for both routine and sensitivity analysis. Moreover, the most common evolutionary-based technique, genetic algorithm (GA), is considered as a benchmark to evaluate the proposed methods’ efficiency. Based on the results, there is no algorithm which works as the most efficient solver over all the cases; while, BBO and WDE showed an acceptable performance because of satisfying records in most cases. There were several cases in which GA, DE, and ES were incapable of finding a valid solution which meets all the constraints simultaneously.