Optimal outrigger placement in tall steel frames using improved EEFO algorithm

The electric eel foraging optimisation EEFO algorithm and an improved variant (I-EEFO) were evaluated for optimising outrigger brace placement in full-scale steel frame structures. The I-EEFO algorithm integrates a Levy flight to replace traditional Brownian randomisation, improving exploration efficiency. Two design examples (10-storey and 20-storey steel frames) demonstrate the algorithms’ ability to enhance structural stability in high-rise buildings. Compared with established metaheuristic methods such as the grey wolf optimiser and the whale optimisation algorithm, the I-EEFO algorithm exhibited superior convergence speed, accuracy and robustness through rigorous evaluations. These findings establish the I-EEFO algorithm as a powerful tool for structural optimisation, offering significant potential for designing efficient and resilient tall buildings.