A Tabu Search Method for Optimizing Heterogeneous Structural Frames

Structural design is responsible for the design and development of structural plans. It consists of multiple steps that have to be performed sequentially. As the output of a step acts as an input for the next one, using optimization tools to aid the design process can help in achieving a better overall quality or a particular design. In this paper, we present a heuristic method that can provide useful suggestions in a short time for the structural design of a building based on preliminary plans. We also introduce a mathematical model that can be used as quality control of the results.