OPTIMIZACIÓN HEURÍSTICA DEL CONSUMO ENERGÉTICO EN EL DISEÑO CONSTRUCTIVO DE PUENTES PREFABRICADOS DE HORMIGÓN

Abstract

The traditional design of concrete structures concentrates on cost. However, other objectives, such as the consumption of energy now attract research attention. This paper focuses on the design of precast road bridges, with a double U-shaped cross-section and isostatic spans. A hybrid simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is applied to the consumption of energy and the economic cost of these structures. The precast bridge system studied consists of two simply-supported U-beams with a cast-in-situ reinforced concrete slab for road traffic. A span length of 25m and a deck width of 12m were considered. The basic costs considered and the energy consumption units were taken from the database of the ITeC. The method used in the present work is a hybrid SA algorithm with a mutation operator (SAMO). The analysis indicated that reducing costs by 1 € could save up to 4.76 Kwh in consumption of energy. Alternatively, when optimizing energy, the cost of the structure increases in 3.47 €/m2. The analysis reveals that energy consumption and cost are closely related. Thus, the solutions that are acceptable in terms of energy consumption are also viable in terms of cost, and vice versa.