Design of Retaining Walls Using Big Bang–Big Crunch Optimization

TLDR

BB‑BC optimization is an iterative, population‑based heuristic with a simple algorithm and few control parameters compared to other evolutionary methods. The study develops a BB‑BC optimization procedure to design low‑cost or low‑weight cantilever reinforced concrete retaining walls with base shear keys, aiming to minimize cost or weight per unit length while satisfying stability, bending, shear, and ACI 318‑05 requirements. The optimization minimizes total cost or weight per unit length under constraints on stability, bending moment, shear force capacities, and ACI 318‑05 requirements using BB‑BC. The method yields low‑cost and low‑weight designs for two retaining walls and shows how surcharge load, backfill slope, and soil friction angle influence these designs with and without a base shear key.

Abstract

A procedure is developed for designing low-cost or low-weight cantilever reinforced concrete retaining walls, with base shear keys, using big bang–big crunch (BB-BC) optimization. The objective of the optimization is to minimize the total cost or total weight per unit length of the retaining structure subjected to constraints on the basis of stability, bending moment, and shear force capacities and the requirements of the American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-05). An iterative population-based heuristic search method, BB-BC optimization has a numerically simple algorithm with relatively few control parameters as compared with other evolutionary methods. Low-cost and low-weight designs for two retaining walls are presented. In addition, results are presented on the effects of surcharge load, backfill slope, and internal friction angle of the retained soil on the values of low-cost and low-weight designs with and without a base shear key.