Cost optimization of a composite floor system, one-way waffle slab, and concrete slab formwork using a charged system search algorithm

In this paper, the optimum design of some floor systems, including composite slab, one way waffle slab, and the formwork of a concrete slab, is performed via recently developed meta-heuristic algorithms, namely, the Charged System Search (CSS) and the Enhanced Charged System Search (E-CSS). The CSS is a multi-agent approach based on some principles of physics and mechanics. Each agent, called a Charged Particle (CP), is a sphere with uniform charge density that can attract other CPs by considering the fitness of the CP. Here, optimum designs are based on LRFD-AISC and ACI 318-05. The objective function for each structure is the cost function. This function includes materials used and the construction cost of the structure. The considered structures are also optimized by the Improved Harmony Search (IHS) algorithm and the results are compared to those of the CSS.