Genetic Algorithm Based Software for Optimization and Design of Piles on Slopes

Abstract

Landslides in layered soil in slopes is a common phenomenon that leads to major damages to infrastructures. Piles are deep foundations which are useful structural elements to support heavy loads in difficult slopes, and to retain creeping or sliding slopes. Controlling the stability of structures made on slopes is still one of the major problems in engineering. Piles are being used successfully to support structures on slopes and have become an efficient solution for such situations which demands construction on sloping grounds, since piles can often be easily installed without disturbing the equilibrium of the layers of soil in the slope. In this paper, an optimized design approach have been adopted for design of single piles for supporting infrastructure on layered soil slopes. A standalone software has been developed as a result of this study which produces the optimum pile dimension, reinforcement details and an estimate of the design as software output. The code is written in MATLAB that incorporates Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization technique to obtain optimum pile dimensions and the pile is designed satisfying all the structural requirements as recommended by IS:2911: Indian Standards Code for cast-in-situ Reinforced Concrete pile.