Abstract
Sustainable designs require long-term environmental vision. To this end, this
study proposes a methodology to design reinforced concrete I-beams based on
multiobjective optimization techniques. The objective functions are the
economic cost, the CO2 emissions, the service life, and the overall safety
coefficient. The procedure was applied to a simply supported concrete I-beam
including several high-strength concrete mix compositions. The solution of this
15 m beam was defined by a total of 20 variables. Results indicate that highstrength
concrete is used for long-term solutions. Further, the economic
feasibility of low-carbon structures remaining in service for long periods and
ensuring safety is proven. This methodology is widely applicable to different
structure designs and therefore, gives engineers a worthy guide to enhance the
sustainability of their designs.
