Application of SCE Meta Heuristic Method and LINGO11 Model for Optimization of Earth Dams Dimensions (Case Study Barzok Dam)

Earth dams as controlling structures of surface flows and floods, must can store the water and prevent of water infiltration from their bodies and resist against forces. Important problem in designing earth dams that constructed with available materials, is determination of design that have expected performance with adequate safety and minimum cost. Because investigating and analyzing all possible options for determination best design requires to spend many of time and cost, designing the earth dams can be formulated as optimization problem. In this study, nonlinear programming model has been presented for designing earth dams optimally with the aim of minimizing the section area of dam (volume of materials that consumed in the dam length unit). Optimization was performed by applying constraints that ensure the safety of slopes that mathematical equations for approximation the values of factors of safety of slopes are defined as the new regression equations. . In order to find the optimal solution, shuffled complex evolution (SCE) algorithm was developed by programming. In addition to previous optimization, design variables were optimized using LINGO software. Then initial design of Barzok earth dam has been presented and performance of the proposed model in optimal designing of earth dams has been studied. Result showed that optimization methods used in this study present same estimation of optimal solution and obtained results from running the SCE optimization model and LINGO model showed that these two optimization methods in the optimization of dam section have same performance. The value of minimum objective function that's mean area of Barzok dam section was determined equal to 2725.3 m2 that in primary design, area of dam section is equal to 4400.7 m2. Therefore dam volume %38 has been reduced that is significant value.