Swarm Intelligence Approach for Parametric Optimization of Railway Simply Supported Beam Bridges with a Single Dynamic Load and Vibration Mode

Analyzing the structural response of bridges to dynamic loads is a crucial concern in bridge engineering, with the primary goal to ensure the bridge safety and stability under varying conditions. The application of artificial intelligence techniques to address this challenge represents a promising yet relatively unexplored area of research in the existing literature. In this context, this paper introduces a swarm intelligence approach known as the bat algorithm for the optimal determination of the geometric and mechanical parameters in railway simply supported beam bridges. This work focuses on the assumption of a single dynamic load and one vibration mode. Our results, validated through Sofistik, a renowned software package for civil engineering, demonstrate that our approach performs well as it yields satisfactory engineering solutions. This opens the door for further swarm intelligence-based developments in this field.