Optimum placement of friction dampers in steel frames using bio-inspired algorithms

As a part of the seismic structure reinforcement process using friction dampers, it is
necessary to define the number, mechanical properties, and location of these devices. An alternative to
carrying out the above activities is through the formulation and solution of an optimization problem.
Looking for the best positions and mechanical parameters (i.e. friction force) of a set of friction
dampers for steel structure seismic reinforcement purposes, the performance comparison of three bioinspired algorithms (Particle Swarm Optimization, Firefly Algorithm, and Differential Evolution) has
been made. The minimization of the maximum inter-story drift has been taken as the objective
function, which, it should be uniform along with the height of the structure. To demonstrate the
performance of the three different algorithms, the behavior of a steel building subjected to an artificial
seismic record has been implemented as a case of study. As a criterion for evaluating the performance
of the optimization algorithms, the level of reduction of the achieved drift, convergence graphs, and
computational cost has been used.