Building information modeling based optimization of steel single-plate shear connections using differential evolution algorithm

Abstract

The conventional method that steel connections are still manually designed one by one is time-consuming. In this paper, a building information modeling based framework is proposed for automated generating steel connections. The differential evolution algorithm is used to seek the optimal solution of connection where the design variables are bolt diameter, bolts arrangement as well as plate dimensions. The objective function is the minimum cost of steel connection while the design constraints adopt the specification AISI/AISC 360. The optimized steel connection is then automatically created in the BIM model. A toolkit is developed to implement the proposed framework on Tekla Structures through open application programming interface (oAPI). The toolkit is applied for single-plate shear connections, which are the most popular connection type in steel buildings. An example of a steel frame is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. The result of the example shows that the proposed framework can shorten the design time.