Benchmark problems in optimum structural design of 3D reinforced concrete frames

Benchmarking goes hand in hand with the development and establishment of efficient and robust optimization methodologies in various scientific fields. Nevertheless, benchmark problems, with known global optima, are currently missing in the optimum structural design of reinforced concrete (RC) frames. In the present study, for first time, benchmark case studies in the optimum design of RC frames are presented. The aim is that these benchmarks are used for the calibration, tuning, improvement and development of optimization algorithms to address the efficient design of concrete frames. More particularly, six three-dimensional concrete building frames are optimally designed to Eurocodes. First, exhaustive search is conducted to identify the global optimum solutions and Pareto fronts. Useful conclusions are also made with respect to the properties of the optimal solutions. Moreover, all candidate designs results are provided in an accompanying file so that they can be used in future optimization studies. Next, the performance of several well-known, single- and multi-objective optimization algorithms is assessed against the global optima to examine their efficiency and applicability in this class of optimization problems. Closing, the need for further and larger in scale benchmark case studies in the optimum design of concrete frames is emphasized.