Automated Design of Steel Columns Under Axial Compression Using Genetic Algorithm

Resumo

This paper is concerned with the automated design of steel columns with W or I cross section geometry,
using Genetic Algorithm optimization. Provided with basic design parameters, the algorithm automatically search
for the optimal cross section shape and deliver the most suitable solution, constrained or not by the commercial
shapes available. In order to show the efficiency and reliability of the algorithm, some benchmark examples
were provided. Based on the results and the analysis, the automated design algorithm proved to be a faster and
reliable alternative for designing steel columns with equal load carrying capacity of conventional methods, under
the Brazilian and international standards.