Optimal design of barrel vaults using charged search system

Barrel vaults are attractive space structures that cover large area without intermediate supports. In this paper, the charged search system (CSS) optimization algorithm is employed for optimal design of barrel vaults. This method utilizes the governing laws of Coulomb and Gauss from electrostatics and the Newtonian law of mechanics. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the discrete CSS algorithm compared to other meta-heuristic algorithms.