A Parametric study on the Structural Analysis, Design and Optimization of RC bunkers using Sequential Linear Programming

Optimization techniques are powerful tools which convert the problem into a mathematical formulation. There are many types of techniques which are selected based on the type of problem. These techniques can be applied to most of the structural engineering problems to arrive at optimum results. This study involves the development of a C-program for the optimization and analysis of Reinforced Concrete (RC) bunker for various capacities and for various materials stored in it. In this study, the importance of optimization and savings due to it is highlighted. Behaviour of each element of the bunker like side wall, hopper bottom, edge beam etc. is studied with varying capacities and varying material stored in the bunker. The analysis results obtained from the C-program are used for the design of the bunker and the designs are carried out using validated MS-Excel sheets.