Multi-Objective Parametric Optimization of Timber–Concrete Composite Floors
Abstract
Timber-concrete composite (TCC) floor systems offer a structurally efficient and low-carbon alternative to conventional concrete or steel solutions, yet their design involves inherently competing objectives, material cost, self-weight, embodied carbon, and multi-criteria design code compliance, that cannot be resolved through conventional iterative approaches. This study presents an integrated multi-objective optimization framework that embeds the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) directly within the Grasshopper parametric modelling environment for systematic design of TCC floors. The framework simultaneously minimizes structural self-weight, total production cost, and embodied carbon while enforcing Eurocode 5 compliance across ultimate and serviceability limit states using the γ-method to evaluate partial composite action. The shear connection used involves standardized ASSY Plus VG self-tapping screws with proprietary FT plastic tubes which forms a dry interface between timber and concrete and enables off-site prefabrication of the concrete slab. The methodology is applied to simply supported TCC floors spanning 5–10 m under residential live load, with algorithm convergence and robustness assessed using the hypervolume indicator across the full evolutionary run. Results reveal well-defined three-dimensional Pareto fronts across all spans, with hypervolume convergence achieved within 13–25 generations, confirming reliable identification of the cost–weight–carbon trade-off surface regardless of span length. At spans beyond 7 m, vibration serviceability governs design over strength, and glulam volume, rather than concrete grade, becomes the dominant driver of both cost and embodied carbon growth. The Grasshopper implementation enables real-time parametric updating and direct geometry export to BIM and finite-element platforms, reducing manual remodeling effort and supporting digital fabrication workflows. The proposed framework provides design engineers with a practically deployable, code-consistent tool for exploring optimal, low-carbon TCC floor configurations across a wide parametric design space.
Reference
Alemayehu D. Dalbiso; Parham Najafi; Pedram Najafi; Mohammad Hajmohammadian Baghban. (2026). Multi-Objective Parametric Optimization of Timber–Concrete Composite Floors. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7365651
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