An optimal design method with nonlinear elastic analysis is presented. The proposed nonlinear elastic method overcomes the drawback of the conventional LRFD method that accounts for nonlinear effect by using the moment amplification factors of $B_1$ and $B_2$. The genetic algorithm used is a procedure based on Darwinian notions of survival of the fittest, where selection, crossover, and mutation operators are employed to look for high performance ones among sections in the database. They are satisfied with the constraint functions and give the lightest weight to the structure. The objective function taken is the total weight of the steel structure and the constraint functions are strength, serviceability, and ductility requirement. Case studies of a planar portal frame, a space two-story frame, and a three-dimensional steel arch bridge are presented.