Comparison of machine learning algorithms for regression and classification of ultimate load-carrying capacity of steel frames

In this paper, the efficiency of five Machine Learning (ML) methods consisting of Deep Learning (DL), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Decision Tree (DT), and Gradient Tree Booting (GTB) for regression and classification of the Ultimate Load Factor (ULF) of nonlinear inelastic steel frames is compared. For this purpose, a two-story, a six-story, and a twenty-story space frame are considered. An advanced nonlinear inelastic analysis is carried out for the steel frames to generate datasets for the training of the considered ML methods. In each dataset, the input variables are the geometric features of W-sections and the output variable is the ULF of the frame. The comparison between the five ML methods is made in terms of the mean-squared-error (MSE) for the regression models and the accuracy for the classification models, respectively. Moreover, the ULF distribution curve is calculated for each frame and the strength failure probability is estimated. It is found that the GTB method has the best efficiency in both regression and classification of ULF regardless of the number of training samples and the space frames considered.