In the process of designing an economical structure, safety along with total cost must be balanced. This can be attained by design optimization, however the complex nature of the algorithms involved hinders its application. Further, there is a severe lack of research on the optimization of reinforced concrete (RC) isolated footings. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to develop a user-friendly tool for the optimization of RC isolated footings using advanced metaheuristic algorithms to make it more practical and convenient to adopt for design optimization. For this purpose, a spreadsheet-based interface is created in which input parameters from the original design can be entered to find the best option for the minimum cost design. The Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) and the Genetic Algorithm (GA) are used as metaheuristic techniques for optimization. The original design of four examples from the literature is compared with the optimized design obtained from the developed tool to demonstrate its efficiency. For the considered case studies, cost-saving of up to 44% has been obtained. Furthermore, a parametric investigation for the minimum cost objective using the GA has been performed through which a detailed analysis of geometric reinforcement and material strength variables is conducted. The results lead to the derivation of useful thumb rules for the economical design and proportioning of isolated footings.

The booming growth of computational abilities in the 21st century has led to its assimilation and benefit in all horizons of engineering. For civil engineers, these advancements have led to groundbreaking technologies such as BIM, automation, and optimization. Unfortunately, even in an era of dwindling resources and dire need for sustainability, optimization has failed to attract implementation in practice. Despite an exponential growth as an area of research interest, the optimization of engineering structures such as reinforced concrete (RC) is still a complex task that requires multidisciplinary knowledge, hindering its practicability. Although past review papers have delved into this topic, they have only been able to cover the breadth of information available by covering broader aspects of optimization of structures. This study on the other hand aims to cover this topic in depth to uncover problem specific trends and issues, by focusing only on optimization of RC cantilever retaining walls. Although there is an abundance of research studies on this topic, there is an absence of any critical review to tie them up, and concurrently with its broader scope, it suffers the same lack of applicability in the field. The in‐depth review presents a summarization of all the online publications including research articles, conference papers, and theses to the best of authors’ knowledge on the topic of RC cantilever retaining wall optimization. Geographical trends, regional developments, and prominent journals have been identified. The design codes, problem formulation, objectives, constraints, variables, and their optimization techniques are tabulated for ease of understanding. Unique areas of development investigated by the different researchers have been highlighted. Lastly, comprehensive recommendations for future works have been detailed with a focus on improving its applicability and assimilation into the construction industry.

Despite the rapid advancements in optimization algorithms for economical reinforced concrete (RC) structures, their application to RC slabs has been significantly limited. The primary constraint is slab depth, governed only by deflection control criteria, which impedes further depth reduction—a key factor in cost optimization. The deflection check relies solely on one design parameter—span length, which is often fixed. This constraint limits the effectiveness of even advanced algorithms, which have consistently failed to deliver substantial cost savings in slab design. To address this issue, this study presents a detailed parametric investigation of three key cost-reducing factors in RC one-way slabs: steel strength, concrete strength, and reinforcing bar sizes, in accordance with the ACI 318–19 code. By bypassing algorithmic constraints, the study formulates optimal design strategies through extensive manual design iterations, providing novel trend-based solutions for cost-effective slab design. The findings indicate that for lower live loads, grade 280 steel offers a 20–30% cost reduction compared to higher-grade steel, despite the latter's strength advantage. However, for higher loads, grade 420 or 500 is recommended. Additionally, optimal bar sizes and concrete strengths are recommended for varying load conditions, offering practical design strategies. This approach provides designers with actionable insights to achieve cost-efficient designs without relying on traditional optimization algorithms.