Cost optimization of load carrying thin-walled precast high performance concrete sandwich panels

The paper describes a procedure to find the structurally and thermally efficient design of load-carrying thin-walled precast High Performance Concrete Sandwich Panels (HPCSP) with an optimal economical solution. A systematic optimization approach is based on the selection of material’s performances and HPCSP’s geometrical parameters as well as on material cost function in the HPCSP design. Cost functions are presented for High Performance Concrete (HPC), insulation layer, reinforcement and include labour-related costs. The present study reports the economic data corresponding to specific manufacturing process and actual financial parameters for the Danish prefabrication industry. The strength based design of HPCSP is in competence with the format of Eurocode 2 and takes into account failure modes related to flexure, shear, HPCSP buckling/slenderness, local HPC plate buckling and maximum deflections. The solution of the optimization problem is performed in the computer package software Matlab® with SQPlab package and integrates the processes of HPCSP design, quantity take-off and cost estimation. The proposed optimization process outcomes in complex HPCSP design proposals to achieve minimum cost of HPCSP.