Aplicación en la docencia posgrado de algoritmos heurísticos en la optimización de estructuras: Muros nervados

Esta comunicación presenta un curso de posgrado perteneciente al Máster Universitario en Ingeniería del Hormigón de la Universitat Politècnica de València dedicado a la formación en ingeniería. La materia se centra en el diseño automatizado de estructuras de hormigón cuyo objetivo pretende la optimización del coste de ejecución. El curso considera la mayoría de los algoritmos heurísticos básicos aplicándolos al diseño práctico de estructuras, tales como muros, pórticos y marcos de pasos inferiores de carreteras, pórticos de edificación, bóvedas, pilas, estribos y tableros de puentes. Se presenta el caso de estudio de la tipología de muro nervado de hormigón armado ejecutado in situ, usado comúnmente en la obra pública de carreteras. Se aplica el algoritmo recocido simulado (SA) a un muro de 10,00 m de altura. El modelo consta de 32 variables que definen la geometría estructural así como las características del hormigón y los armados. Se consideran varios conjuntos de parámetros para definir la heurística y cómo influyen éstos en la obtención de resultados. Finalmente, se concluye que la optimización heurística es una buena herramienta para diseñar muros reduciendo costes y que la elección de los parámetros que definen los algoritmos es fundamental para conseguir una robustez en los resultados

An evolutionary algorithm approach to designing of precast-prestressed concrete road bridges with steel fiber-reinforcement

Congreso celebrado en la Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Sevilla desde el 24 hasta el 26 de junio de 2015.This paper describes a methodology to optimize CO2 emissions and the influence of steel fiberreinforcement when designing precast-prestressed concrete road bridges with a double U-shape cross-section. A hybrid evolutionary algorithm (EA) combining a genetic algorithm (GA) with variabledepth neighborhood search (VDNS) is applied to two objective functions: the embedded CO2 emissions and the economic cost of these structures. A span length of 30m and a deck width of 12m were considered. The problem involved 41 discrete design variables. The module computed the objective functions of a solution and checked all the relevant limit states. The application of the algorithm requires the initial calibration. Each heuristic is run nine times so as to obtain statistical information about the minimum, average and deviation of the results. Finally, solutions and run times indicate that heuristic optimization is a forthcoming option for the design of real-life prestressed structures

A postgraduate course on precast-prestressed concrete road bridges optimization

Congreso celebrado en la Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Sevilla desde el 24 hasta el 26 de junio de 2015.This paper deals with a postgraduate course in project engineering that forms part of an MSc course in Concrete Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de València. The course is concerned first with the basic heuristic algorithms for structural optimization, and it then moves to the application of such algorithms to the practical design of real concrete structures such as walls, road portal and box frames, building frames, vaults, bridge piers, abutments and decks. Two design cases are presented. Simulated annealing (SA) is firstly applied to a prestressed concrete precast pedestrian bridges typically used in public works construction. The second type of structure analysed is a 35-35-35-35m prestressed concrete road bridge deck and 12m of width. A hybrid memetic algorithm (MA) is applied to the cost function objective. Finally, case studies indicate that heuristic optimization is a forthcoming option for the design of real-life prestressed structures

Competencia Transversal 'Pensamiento Crítico' en el Grado de Ingeniería Civil: Valoración previa

Dentro del marco de las nuevas titulaciones de Grado asociadas al proceso de Convergencia Europea, se establecen además de las competencias específicas de la titulación académica, un conjunto de competencias transversales que tienen como objetivo preparar a los estudiantes en su inclusión al mercado laboral una vez finalizados los estudios. En la titulación de Grado en Ingeniería Civil se establecen 10 conceptos, equivalentes en términos de competencias transversales, para ser evaluados, asignándose para ello distintas asignaturas troncales o de especialidad. La competencia transversal denominada `pensamiento crítico` es asignada a la asignatura Procedimientos de Construcción que se cursa en 2º curso. La presente comunicación muestra los resultados de la percepción que tienen los alumnos de dicha asignatura respecto al pensamiento crítico basado en los fundamentos de los procesos constructivos. Se ha realizado para ello una encuesta anónima utilizando una escala Likert de 11 preguntas. Se ha elaborado un análisis factorial mediante el método de componentes principales para identificar las variables subyacentes o factores que expliquen la configuración de las correlaciones. Se ha propuesto un modelo de regresión múltiple para explicar las variables más comunales. Los resultados han permitido el diseño de actividades basadas en metodologías activas para la evaluación del pensamiento crítico

A Hybrid k-Means Cuckoo Search Algorithm Applied to the Counterfort Retaining Walls Problem

[EN] The counterfort retaining wall is one of the most frequent structures used in civil engineering. In this structure, optimization of cost and CO2 emissions are important. The first is relevant in the competitiveness and efficiency of the company, the second in environmental impact. From the point of view of computational complexity, the problem is challenging due to the large number of possible combinations in the solution space. In this article, a k-means cuckoo search hybrid algorithm is proposed where the cuckoo search metaheuristic is used as an optimization mechanism in continuous spaces and the unsupervised k-means learning technique to discretize the solutions. A random operator is designed to determine the contribution of the k-means operator in the optimization process. The best values, the averages, and the interquartile ranges of the obtained distributions are compared. The hybrid algorithm was later compared to a version of harmony search that also solved the problem. The results show that the k-mean operator contributes significantly to the quality of the solutions and that our algorithm is highly competitive, surpassing the results obtained by harmony search.The first author was supported by the Grant CONICYT/FONDECYT/INICIACION/11180056, the other two authors were supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding (Project: BIA2017-85098-R).García, J.; Yepes, V.; Martí Albiñana, JV. (2020). A Hybrid k-Means Cuckoo Search Algorithm Applied to the Counterfort Retaining Walls Problem. Mathematics. 8(4):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/math8040555S12284García, J., Altimiras, F., Peña, A., Astorga, G., & Peredo, O. (2018). A Binary Cuckoo Search Big Data Algorithm Applied to Large-Scale Crew Scheduling Problems. Complexity, 2018, 1-15. doi:10.1155/2018/8395193García, J., Moraga, P., Valenzuela, M., Crawford, B., Soto, R., Pinto, H., … Astorga, G. (2019). 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Black Hole Algorithm for Sustainable Design of Counterfort Retaining Walls

[EN] The optimization of the cost and CO 2 emissions in earth-retaining walls is of relevance, since these structures are often used in civil engineering. The optimization of costs is essential for the competitiveness of the construction company, and the optimization of emissions is relevant in the environmental impact of construction. To address the optimization, black hole metaheuristics were used, along with a discretization mechanism based on min¿max normalization. The stability of the algorithm was evaluated with respect to the solutions obtained; the steel and concrete values obtained in both optimizations were analyzed. Additionally, the geometric variables of the structure were compared. Finally, the results obtained were compared with another algorithm that solved the problem. The results show that there is a trade-off between the use of steel and concrete. The solutions that minimize CO 2 emissions prefer the use of concrete instead of those that optimize the cost. On the other hand, when comparing the geometric variables, it is seen that most remain similar in both optimizations except for the distance between buttresses. When comparing with another algorithm, the results show a good performance in optimization using the black hole algorithm.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding (Project: BIA2017-85098-R) to the first and second authors, and the Grant CONICYT/FONDECYT/INICIACION/11180056 to the third author.Yepes, V.; Martí Albiñana, JV.; García, J. (2020). Black Hole Algorithm for Sustainable Design of Counterfort Retaining Walls. Sustainability. 12(7):1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072767S118127Frangopol, D. M. (2011). Life-cycle performance, management, and optimisation of structural systems under uncertainty: accomplishments and challenges1. 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The buttressed walls problem: An application of a hybrid clustering particle swarm optimization algorithm

[EN] The design of reinforced earth retaining walls is a combinatorial optimization problem of interest due to practical applications regarding the cost savings involved in the design and the optimization in the amount of CO2 emissions generated in its construction. On the other hand, this problem presents important challenges in computational complexity since it involves 32 design variables; therefore we have in the order of 10^20 possible combinations. In this article, we propose a hybrid algorithm in which the particle swarm optimization method is integrated that solves optimization problems in continuous spaces with the db-scan clustering technique, with the aim of addressing the combinatorial problem of the design of reinforced earth retaining walls. This algorithm optimizes two objective functions: the carbon emissions embedded and the economic cost of reinforced concrete walls. To assess the contribution of the db-scan operator in the optimization process, a random operator was designed. The best solutions, the averages, and the interquartile ranges of the obtained distributions are compared. The db-scan algorithm was then compared with a hybrid version that uses k-means as the discretization method and with a discrete implementation of the harmony search algorithm. The results indicate that the db-scan operator significantly improves the quality of the solutions and that the proposed metaheuristic shows competitive results with respect to the harmony search algorithm.The first author was supported by the Grant CONICYT/FONDECYT/INICIACION/11180056, the other two authors were supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding (Project: BIA2017-85098-R).Garcia, J.; Martí Albiñana, JV.; Yepes, V. (2020). The buttressed walls problem: An application of a hybrid clustering particle swarm optimization algorithm. Mathematics. 8(6):862-01-862-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/math8060862S862-01862-228

Cost and CO2 emission optimization of precast prestressed concrete U-beam road bridges by a hybrid glowworm swarm algorithm

This paper describes a methodology to optimize cost and CO2 emissions when designing precast-prestressed concrete road bridges with a double U-shape cross-section. To this end, a hybrid glowworm swarm optimization algorithm (SAGSO) is used to combine the synergy effect of the local search with simulated annealing (SA) and the global search with glowworm swarm optimization (GSO). The solution is defined by 40 variables, including the geometry, materials and reinforcement of the beam and the slab. Regarding the material, high strength concrete is used as well as self-compacting concrete in beams. Results provide engineers with useful guidelines to design PC precast bridges. The analysis also revealed that reducing costs by 1 Euro can save up to 1.75 kg in CO2 emissions. Finally, the parametric study indicates that optimal solutions in terms of monetary costs have quite a satisfactory environmental outcome and differ only slightly from the best possible environmental solution obtained. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Research Project BIA2011-23602) and by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Research Project SP20120341). The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and useful suggestions. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Debra Westall for her thorough revision of the manuscriptYepes Piqueras, V.; Martí Albiñana, JV. (2015). Cost and CO2 emission optimization of precast prestressed concrete U-beam road bridges by a hybrid glowworm swarm algorithm. Automation in Construction. 49:123-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2014.10.013S1231344

Reliability-based maintenance optimization of corrosion preventive designs under a life cycle perspective

[EN] Sustainability is of paramount importance when facing the design of long lasting, maintenance demanding structures. In particular, a sustainable life cycle design for concrete structure exposed to aggressive environments may lead to significant economic savings, and to reduced environmental consequences. The present study evaluates 18 different design alternatives for an existing concrete bridge deck exposed to chlorides, analyzing the economic and environmental impacts associated with each design as a function of the maintenance interval chosen. Results are illustrated in the context of a reliability-based maintenance optimization on both life cycle costs and life cycle environmental impacts. Maintenance optimization results in significant reductions of life cycle impacts if compared to the damage resulting from performing the maintenance actions when the end of the service life of the structure is reached. The use of concrete with 10% silica fume has been shown to be the most effective prevention strategy against corrosion of reinforcement steel in economic terms, reducing the life cycle costs of the original deck design by 76%. From an environmental perspective, maintenance based on the hydrophobic treatment of the concrete deck surface results in the best performance, allowing for a reduction of the impacts associated with the original design by 82.8%.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, along with FEDER funding (Project: BIA2017-85098-R).Navarro, I.; Martí Albiñana, JV.; Yepes, V. (2019). Reliability-based maintenance optimization of corrosion preventive designs under a life cycle perspective. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 74:23-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2018.10.001S23347

Embodied Energy Optimization of Buttressed Earth-Retaining Walls with Hybrid Simulated Annealing

[EN] The importance of construction in the consumption of natural resources is leading structural design professionals to create more efficient structure designs that reduce emissions as well as the energy consumed. This paper presents an automated process to obtain low embodied energy buttressed earth-retaining wall optimum designs. Two objective functions were considered to compare the difference between a cost optimization and an embodied energy optimization. To reach the best design for every optimization criterion, a tuning of the algorithm parameters was carried out. This study used a hybrid simulated optimization algorithm to obtain the values of the geometry, the concrete resistances, and the amounts of concrete and materials to obtain an optimum buttressed earth-retaining wall low embodied energy design. The relation between all the geometric variables and the wall height was obtained by adjusting the linear and parabolic functions. A relationship was found between the two optimization criteria, and it can be concluded that cost and energy optimization are linked. This allows us to state that a cost reduction of €1 has an associated energy consumption reduction of 4.54 kWh. To achieve a low embodied energy design, it is recommended to reduce the distance between buttresses with respect to economic optimization. This decrease allows a reduction in the reinforcing steel needed to resist stem bending. The difference between the results of the geometric variables of the foundation for the two-optimization objectives reveals hardly any variation between them. This work gives technicians some rules to get optimum cost and embodied energy design. Furthermore, it compares designs obtained through these two optimization objectives with traditional design recommendations.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Business, along with FEDER funding (DIMALIFE Project: BIA2017-85098-R) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for David Martínez-Muñoz University Teacher Training Grant (FPU18/01592). They would also like to emphasize that José García was supported by the Grant CONICYT/FONDECYT/INICIACION/11180056.Martínez-Muñoz, D.; Martí Albiñana, JV.; García, J.; Yepes, V. (2021). Embodied Energy Optimization of Buttressed Earth-Retaining Walls with Hybrid Simulated Annealing. Applied Sciences. 11(4):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041800S116114Casals, X. G. (2006). Analysis of building energy regulation and certification in Europe: Their role, limitations and differences. 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