Applications of Meta-heuristic Algorithms to Civil Engineering Problems

The Civil Architectural and Environmental Engineering department will be hosting a seminar featuring Dr. Y. Cengiz Toklu, a Visiting Scholar at IIT. The topic of the seminar is Applications of Meta-heuristic Algorithms to Civil Engineering Problems.

Abstract

This seminar will provide an introduction to meta-heuristic algorithms followed by an overview of their applications in civil engineering. The focus will be on three applications: Pareto optimality in aggregate blending computations and in material selection process for green buildings; scheduling for resource constrained construction projects; and structural analysis through the method Total Potential Optimization using Meta-heuristic Algorithms (TPO/MA).

Speaker Bio

Professor Toklu received his BS and MS degrees from Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey and PhD degree from Universite de Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), Paris France. He taught in several universities in Turkey, the current one being Bilecik University where he is the head of the Civil Engineering Department. His specialty is in structural engineering. His research interest has been mainly in optimization techniques, space civil engineering, and engineering education.

He worked for about 20 years in the design and construction industry in Turkey. During this time, he served as the technical director for the design and construction of three motorways, one of which included a 1,060 m suspension bridge over Bosphorus. He led the design teams of several other bridges, one being the 370 m pontoon bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul. He was the chief supervisor of the light rail transport system and other infrastructure works in Ankara.