CROSS-SECTIONAL OPTIMAL DESIGN OF COLD-FORMED STEEL LIPPED CHANNELS USING ACCELERATED PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION

Resumo

This study aims to present a practical method for optimizing cold-formed steel (CFS) lipped
channel beam-columns using an Accelerated Particle Swarm Optimization method (APSO). To
eliminate impracticable cross-section shapes from the optimization results, several manufacturing and
construction constraints are applied into the optimization process. Targeting this goal, 128 different
lipped channel sections prototypes were selected and then optimized with respect to their buckling load,
determined according to the finite strip method (FSM), then assessing the strength according to the
provisions based on direct strength method (DSM). Comparing the structural resistance of the optimized
sections with the sections of the original channel CFS with the same steel consumption, significant
improvements were obtained. The results indicate that the optimized sections provide a compressive
strength which is up to 50% higher than the initial shapes, and for flexural strength 30% higher than the
reference profiles, while they meting predefined design and manufacturing constraints. The results of
this study demonstrate the useful of APSO in CFS practical design problems.