• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2021

This paper describes a novel zero-stress member selecting method for sizing optimization of truss structures. When a sizing optimization method with static constraints is implemented, the member stresses are affected sensitively with changing the variables. However, because some truss members are unaffected by specific loading cases, zero-stress states are experienced by the elements. The zero-stress members could affect the computational cost and time of sizing optimization processes. Feature selection approaches can be then used to eliminate the zero-stress member from the whole variables prior to the process of optimization. Several numerical truss examples are tested using the proposed methods.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.36-42
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• 2013

We present the optimum design for the cross-sectional(sizing) and shape optimization of truss structures with natural frequency constraints. The optimum design method used in this paper employs continuous design variables and the Harmony Search Algorithm(HSA). HSA is a meta-heuristic search method for global optimization problems. In this paper, HSA uses the method of random number selection in an update process, along with penalty parameters, to construct the initial harmony memory in order to improve the fitness in the initial and update processes. In examples, 10-bar and 72-bar trusses are optimized for sizing, and 37-bar bridge type truss and 52-bar(like dome) for sizing and shape. Four typical truss optimization examples are employed to demonstrate the availability of HSA for finding the minimum weight optimum truss with multiple natural frequency constraints.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.603-617
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• 2022

Structural design, in general, is developed through trial and error technique which is guided by standards criteria and based on the intuition and experience of the engineer, a context that leads to structural over-dimensioning, with uneconomic solutions. Aiming to find the optimal design, structural optimization methods have been developed to find a balance between cost, structural safety, and material performance. These methods have become a great opportunity in the steel structural engineering domain since they have as their main purpose is weight minimization, a factor directly correlated to the real cost of the structure. Assuming an objective function of minimum weight with stress and displacement constraints provided by Brazilian standards, the present research proposes the sizing optimization and combined approach of sizing and shape optimization, through a software developed to implement the Simulated Annealing metaheuristic algorithm. Therefore, two steel plane frame layouts, each admitting four typical truss geometries, were proposed in order to expose the difference between the optimal solutions. The assessment of the optimal solutions indicates a notable weight reduction, especially in sizing and shape optimization combination, in which the quantity of design variables is increased along with the search space, improving the efficiency of the optimal solutions achieved.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.107-121
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• 2015

The main objective of this research is to present the procedures of combining topology, shape & sizing optimization for truss structure by employing strain energy as objective function under the constraints of volume fractions which yield more general solution than that of total weight approach. Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used as searching engine for the convergence solution. A number of algorithms from previous research are used for evaluating the feasibility and stability of candidate to accelerate convergence and reduce the computational effort. It is followed by solving problem for topology & shape optimization and topology, shape & sizing optimization of truss structure to illustrate the feasibility of applying the objective function of strain energy throughout optimization stages.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.275-296
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• 2016

This article presents an adaptive directional differential evolution (ADDE) algorithm and its application in solving discrete sizing truss optimization problems. The algorithm is featured by a new self-adaptation approach and a simple directional strategy. In the adaptation approach, the mutation operator is adjusted in accordance with the change of population diversity, which can well balance between global exploration and local exploitation as well as locate the promising solutions. The directional strategy is based on the order relation between two difference solutions chosen for mutation and can bias the search direction for increasing the possibility of finding improved solutions. In addition, a new scaling factor is introduced as a vector of uniform random variables to maintain the diversity without crossover operation. Numerical results show that the optimal solutions of ADDE are as good as or better than those from some modern metaheuristics in the literature, while ADDE often uses fewer structural analyses.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.537-550
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• 2017

Structural sizing is a rewarding task due to its non-convex constrained nature in the design space. In order to provide both global exploration and proper search refinement, a hybrid method is developed here based on outstanding features of Evolutionary Computing and Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization. The new method introduces an observer phase for memory exploitation in addition to vector-sum movements in the original teacher and learner phases. Proper integer coding is suited and applied for structural size optimization together with a fly-to-boundary technique and an elitism strategy. Performance of the proposed method is further evaluated treating a number of truss examples compared with teaching-learning-based optimization. The results show enhanced capability of the method in efficient and stable convergence toward the optimum and effective capturing of high quality solutions in discrete structural sizing problems.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.747-753
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• 2019

Metaheuristic algorithm is used to solve the weight minimization problem of truss structures considering shape, and sizing design variables. The cross-sectional areas of the line element in trusses are the design variables for size optimization and the changeable joint coordinates are the shape optimization used in this study. The design of plane and spatial truss structures are optimized by metaheuristic technique named Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO). Finite element analyses of structures and optimization process are carried out by the computer program visually developed by the authors coded in MATLAB. The four benchmark problems (trusses 2D ten-bar, 3D thirty-seven-bar, 3D seventy-two-bar and 2D two-hundred-bar) taken from literature are optimized and the optimal solution compared the results given by previous studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.27-37
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• 2020

Structural optimization problems with discrete design variables require more function calculations (or finite element analyses) than those in the continuous design space. In this study, a method to find an optimal solution in the discrete design of the truss structure is presented, reducing the number of function calculations. Because a continuous optimal solution is the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker point that satisfies the optimality condition, it is assumed that the discrete optimal solution is around the continuous optimum. Then, response values such as weight, displacement, and stress are predicted using approximate models-referred to as hybrid metamodels-within specified design ranges. The discrete design method using the hybrid metamodels is used as a post-process of the continuous optimization process. Standard truss design problems of 10-bar, 25-bar, 15-bar, and 52-bar are solved to show the usefulness of this method. The results are compared with those of existing methods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.131-142
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• 2015

In this paper, we present an optimization of truss structures subjected to stress, buckling, and natural frequency constraints. The main objective of the present study is to propose an efficient HA-SA algorithm for solving the truss optimization subject to multiple constraints. The procedure of hybrid HA-SA is a search method which a design values in harmony memory of harmony search are used as an initial value designs in simulated annealing search method. The efficient optimization of HA-SA is illustrated through several optimization examples. The examples of truss structures are used 10-Bar truss, 52-Bar truss (Dome), and 72-Bar truss for natural frequency constraints, and used 18-Bar truss and 47-Bar (Tower) truss for stress and buckling constraints. The optimum results are compared to those of different techniques. The numerical results are demonstrated the advantages of the HA-SA algorithm in truss optimization with multiple constraints.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 1997

A two-step method is presented for the optimum design of trusses with available sections under stress and Euler buckling constraints. The shape design of the truss is used as a means to convert the discrete solution into a continuous one. In the first step of the method, a continuous solution is obtained by sizing and shape design using an approximate polynomial expression for the buckling coefficients. In the second step, the member sizes obtained are changed to the nearest available sections and the truss is reconfigured by using the exact values for the buckling coefficients. The optimizer used is based on the sequential quadratic programming and the gradients are evaluated in closed form. The method is illustrated by two numerical examples.