• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.361-373
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• 2009

Using the genetic algorithm, the optimal-design technique of the Nielsen arch bridge was proposed in this paper. The design parameters were the arch-rise ratio and the steel weight ratio of the Nielsen arch bridge, and optimal-design techniques were utilized to analyze the behavior of the bridge. The optimal parameter values were determined for the estimated optimal level. The parameter determination requires the standardization of the safety, utility, and economic concepts as the critical factors of a structure. For this, a genetic algorithm was used, whose global-optimal-solution search ability is superior to the optimization technique, and whose object function in the optimal design is the total weight of the structure. The constraints for the optimization were displacement, internal stress, and time and space. The structural analysis was a combination of the small displacement theory and the genetic algorithm, and the runtime was reduced for parallel processing. The optimal-design technique that was developed in this study was employed and deduced using the optimal arch-rise ratio, steel weight ratio, and optimal-design domain. The optimal-design technique was presented so it could be applied in the industry.