• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.321-333
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• 2018

Simplified Dolphin Echolocation (SDE) algorithm is a recently developed meta-heuristic algorithm. This algorithm is an improved and simplified version of the Dolphin Echolocation Optimization (DEO) method, based on the baiting behavior of the dolphins. The main advantage of the SDE algorithm is that it needs no empirical parameter. In this paper, the SDE algorithm is applied for optimization of three well-studied frame structures. The designs are then compared with those of other meta-heuristic methods from the literature. Numerical results show the efficiency of the SDE algorithm and its competitive ability with other well-established meta-heuristics methods.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.535-554
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• 2015

Dolphin echolocation (DE) optimization algorithm is a recently developed meta-heuristic in which echolocation behavior of Dolphins is utilized for seeking a design space. The computational performance of meta-heuristic algorithms is highly dependent to its internal parameters. But the computational time of adjusting these parameters is usually extensive. The DE is an efficient optimization algorithm as it includes few internal parameters compared with other meta-heuristics. In the present paper a modified Dolphin echolocation (MDE) algorithm is proposed for optimization of steel frame structures. In the MDE the step locations are determined using one-dimensional chaotic maps and this improves the convergence behavior of the algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed MDE algorithm is illustrated in three benchmark steel frame optimization test examples. Results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed MDE algorithm in finding better solutions compared to standard DE and other existing algorithms.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.175-194
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• 2016

Nature has provided inspiration for most of the man-made technologies. Scientists believe that dolphins are the second to humans in smartness and intelligence. Echolocation is the biological sonar used by dolphins for navigation and hunting in various environments. This ability of dolphins is mimicked in this paper to develop a new optimization method. Dolphin Echolocation Optimization (DEO) is an optimization method based on dolphin's approach for hunting food and exploration of environment. DEO has already been developed for discrete optimization search space and here it is extended to continuous search space. DEO has simple rules and is adjustable for predetermined computational cost. DEO provides the optimum results and leads to alternative optimality curves suitable for the problem. This algorithm has a few parameters and it is applicable to a wide range of problems like other metaheuristic algorithms. In the present work, the efficiency of this approach is demonstrated using standard benchmark problems.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.449-461
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• 2017

One of the most recent methods of structural damage identification is using the difference between structures responses after and before damage occurrence. To do this one can formulate the damage detection problem as an inverse optimization problem where the extents of damage in each element are considered as the optimizations variables. To optimize the objective function, heuristic methods such as GA, PSO etc. are widely utilized. In this paper, inspired by animals such as bat, dolphin, oilbird, shrew etc. that use echolocation for finding food, a new and efficient method, called Echolocation Search Algorithm (ESA), is proposed to properly identify the site and extent of multiple damage cases in structural systems. Numerical results show that the proposed method can reliably determine the location and severity of multiple damage cases in structural systems.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.983-1004
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• 2016

Nowadays, there are two classes of methods for damage detection in structures consisting of static and dynamic. The dynamic methods are based on studying the changes in structure's dynamic characteristics. The theoretical basis of this method is that damage causes changes in dynamic characteristics of structures. The dynamic methods are divided into two categories: signal based and modal based. The modal based methods utilize the modal properties consisting of natural frequencies, modal damping and mode shapes. As the modal properties are sensitive to changes in the structure, these can be used for detecting the damages. In this study, using dynamic method and modal based approach (natural frequencies and mode shapes), the objective function is formulated. Then, detection of damages of truss structures is addressed by using Simplified Dolphin Echolocation algorithm and solving inverse optimization problem. Many scenarios are used to simulate the damages. To demonstrate the ability of the algorithm, different truss structures with several multiple elements scenarios are tested using a few runs. The influence of the two different levels of noise in the modal data for these scenarios is also considered. The last example of this article is investigated using a different mutation. This mutation obtains the exact answer with fewer loops and population by limited computational effort.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.295-307
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• 2023

This paper presents an optimization of the reinforced concrete ribbed slab in terms of minimum CO₂ emissions and an economic justification of the final optimal design. The design variables are six geometry variables including the slab thickness, the ribs spacing, the rib width at the lower and toper end, the depth of the rib and the bar diameter of the reinforcement, and the seventh variable defines the concrete strength. The objective function is considered to be the minimum amount of carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) emission and at the same time, the optimal design is economical. Seven significant design constraints of American Concrete Institute's Standard were considered. A robust metaheuristic optimization method called improved dolphin echolocation and ant colony optimization (IDEACO) has been used to obtain the best possible answer. At optimal design, the three most important sources of CO₂ emissions include concrete, steel reinforcement, and formwork that the contribution of them are 63.72, 32.17, and 4.11 percent respectively. Formwork, concrete, steel reinforcement, and CO₂ are the four most important sources of cost with contributions of 67.56, 19.49, 12.44, and 0.51 percent respectively. Results obtained by IDEACO show that cost and CO₂ emissions are closely related, so the presented method is a practical solution that was able to reduce the cost and CO₂ emissions simultaneously.