The Optimization of Truss Structures with Genetic Algorithms

This paper investigated the optimum design of truss structures based on Genetic Algorithms (GA's). With GA's characteristic of running side by side, the overall optimization and feasible operation, the optimum design model of truss structures was established. Elite models were used to assure that the best units of the previous generation had access to the evolution of current generation. Using of non-uniformity mutation brought the obvious mutation at earlier stage and stable mutation in the later stage; this benefited the convergence of units to the best result. In addition, to avoid GA's drawback of converging to local optimization easily, by the limit value of each variable was changed respectively and the genetic operation was performed two times, so the program could work more efficiently and obtained more precise results. Finally, by simulating evolution process of nature biology of a kind self-organize, self-organize, artificial intelligence, this paper established continuous structural optimization model for ten bars cantilever truss, and obtained satisfactory result of optimum design. This paper further explained that structural optimization is practicable with GA's, and provided the theoretic basis for the GA's optimum design of structural engineering.