An improved newton metaheuristic algorithm for design optimization of steel moment-resisting frames

This paper proposes an improved Newton metaheuristic algorithm (INMA) for solving steel moment resisting frame optimization problems. The proposed INMA uses a novel initialization scheme that produces an efficient initial population that is significantly better than a randomly generated initial population for structural optimization problems. The efficiency of the algorithm is further improved by the implementation of a statistical regeneration mechanism. The effectiveness of the INMA is initially demonstrated through two benchmark optimization problems involving steel moment-resisting frames. Furthermore, the performance of the INMA is evaluated to address the performance-based design optimization problem of steel moment-resisting frames. Due to the potentially extensive computational time of the performance-based design optimization process, a nonlinear static pushover analysis is performed to determine structural responses at various seismic performance levels. The numerical results indicate that the INMA outperforms other algorithms in the literature.