Optimum design of reinforced concrete beam sections with JAYA algorithm

Section design is an important process for designing reinforced concrete structures because of the existence of factors such as bearing capacity and cost. After defining the initial cross sections for reinforced concrete elements, reinforcement amounts are calculated within the framework of certain rules and regulations. In the classical method, optimum cost and reliable structure can be designed by trial and error. Designing with the classical method is quite time-consuming. As in different fields, metaheuristic algorithms are employed to civil engineering applications to reach the optimum solution. In this study, unlike other examples from the literature, the optimum cost design of reinforced concrete beam cross-section was done, adding torsional moment to bending moment and effects of shearing force through the use of the JAYA algorithm. The optimum cost design of a reinforced concrete beam section under the effects of torsional moment, bending moment and shear force is performed. The design is done according to the rules specified in ACI 318 (Building code requirements for structural concrete), as it is well-known and used in many international projects. For the purpose of this study, cross-sections of 10 different reinforced concrete beam cross-sections were designed under 5 different loads for 2 different concrete classes through MATLAB software, with the aim of finding the optimum beam cross-section. A reinforced concrete beam is designed under different torsional loads and for different concrete classes and it is aimed to find the optimum beam cross-section. It shows the effect of torsional force on reinforced concrete beam cross section and reinforcement by using different torsional loads. It was observed that the algorithm used tends to approach the optimum result, increasing the area of concrete with lower unit cost or reducing the distance between stirrups. It was concluded that Jaya algorithm performs effectively with respect to optimizing reinforced concrete beams. The algorithm used can be applied to different reinforced concrete elements.