optimization is an important methodology for activities in planning and design. the transportation designers are able to introduce better projects when they can save time and cost of travel for project by optimization methods. most of the optimization problems in engineering are more complicated than they can be solved by custom optimization methods. the most common and available methods are he...

This paper presents a robust hybrid improved dolphin echolocation and ant colony optimization algorithm (IDEACO) for optimization of truss structures with discrete sizing variables. The dolphin echolocation (DE) is inspired by the navigation and hunting behavior of dolphins. An improved version of dolphin echolocation (IDE), as the main engine, is proposed and uses the positive attributes of an...

Meta-heuristic algorithms are applied in optimization problems in a variety of fields, including engineering, economics, and computer science. In this paper, seven population-based meta-heuristic algorithms are employed for size and geometry optimization of truss structures. These algorithms consist of the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm, Cyclical Parthenogenesis Algorithm, Cuckoo Search algori...

A hybrid meta-heuristic optimization method is introduced to efficiently find the optimal shape of concrete gravity dams including dam-water-foundation rock interaction subjected to earthquake loading. The hybrid meta-heuristic optimization method is based on a hybrid of gravitational search algorithm (GSA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), which is called GSA-PSO. The operation of GSA-PSO...

The solutions used to solve bi-level congestion pricing problems are usually based on heuristic network optimization methods which may not be able to find the best solution for these type of problems. The application of meta-heuristic methods can be seen as viable alternative solutions but so far, it has not received enough attention by researchers in this field. Therefore, the objective of thi...

assigning facilities to locations is one of the important problems, which significantly is influence in transportation cost reduction. in this study, we solve quadratic assignment problem (qap), using a meta-heuristic algorithm with deterministic tasks and equality in facilities and location number. it should be noted that any facility must be assign to only one location. in this paper, first o...

in today's globalization, an effective integration of production and distribution plans into a unified framework is crucial for attaining competitive advantage. this paper addresses an integrated multi-product and multi-time period production/distribution planning problem for a two-echelon supply chain subject to the real-world variables and constraints. it is assumed that all transportations a...

barrel vaults are attractive space structures that cover large area without intermediate supports. in this paper, the charged search system (css) optimization algorithm is employed for optimal design of barrel vaults. this method utilizes the governing laws of coulomb and gauss from electrostatics and the newtonian law of mechanics. the results demonstrate the efficiency of the discrete css alg...

one of the significant strategies of the power systems is economic dispatch (ed) problem, which is defined as the optimal generation of power units to produce energy at the lowest cost by fulfilling the demand within several limits. the undeniable impacts of ramp rate limits, valve loading, prohibited operating zone, spinning reserve and multi-fuel option on the economic dispatch of practical p...