This timely book deals with a current topic, i.e. the applications of metaheuristic algorithms, with a primary focus on optimization problems in civil engineering. The first chapter offers a concise overview of different kinds of metaheuristic algorithms, explaining their advantages in solving complex engineering problems that cannot be effectively tackled by traditional methods, and citing the most important works for further reading. The remaining chapters report on advanced studies on the applications of certain metaheuristic algorithms to specific engineering problems. Genetic algorithm, bat algorithm, cuckoo search, harmony search and simulated annealing are just some of the methods presented and discussed step by step in real-application contexts, in which they are often used in combination with each other. Thanks to its synthetic yet meticulous and practice-oriented approach, the book is a perfect guide for graduate students, researchers and professionals willing to applying metaheuristic algorithms in civil engineering and other related engineering fields, such as mechanical, transport and geotechnical engineering. It is also a valuable aid for both lectures and advanced engineering students.

Inhalt
Review and Applications of Metaheuristic Algorithms in Civil Engineering.- Application of the Flower Pollination Algorithm in Structural Engineering.- Use of Swarm Intelligence in Structural Steel Design Optimization.- Metaheuristic Optimization in Structural Engineering.- Performance-Based Optimum Seismic Design of Steel Dual Braced Frames by Bat Algorithm.- Genetic Algorithms for Optimization of 3D Truss Structures.- A Hybrid Metaheuristic Application in Asphalt Pavement Management System.- Optimum Reinforced Concrete Design by Harmony Search Algorithm.- Reactive Power Optimization in Wind Power Plants using Cuckoo Search Algorithm.- A DSS-Based Honey-Bee Mating Optimization Algorithm for Single- and Multi-objective Design of Water Distribution Networks.- Application of the Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Transport Infrastructure Planning.- A hybrid Bat Algorithm with Path Relinking for Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem.- Hybrid Metaheuristic Algorithms in Geotechnical Engineering.