ABSTRACT
Since its appearance in the mid-fifties, artificial intelligence has dealt with a variety of fields that include the optimization of constrained problems. In spite of the potential capabilities of artificial intelligence, present design of economic concrete structures is very much conditioned by the experience of structural practitioners. Basically, the design of concrete structures is a problem of selection of design variables subject to structural constraints for which artificial intelligence is very much suited. Design variables include material grades, cross section dimensions and reinforcement. Most present design office procedures are still based on the adoption of cross-section dimensions and material grades based on sanctioned common practice. Once the structure is defined, it follows the analysis of stress resultants and the computation of passive and active reinforcement that satisfy the limit states prescribed by concrete codes. Should the dimensions or material grades be insufficient, the structure is redefined on a trial and error basis. Such process leads to safe designs, but the economy and sustainability of the concrete structures are, therefore, very much linked to the experience of the structural designer.
