• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.6
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• pp.799-821
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• 2020

The optimum design of truss structures is one of the significant categories in structural optimization that has widely been applied by researchers. In the present study, new mathematical programming called Consistent Approximation (CONAP) method is utilized for the simultaneous optimization of the size and shape of truss structures. The CONAP algorithm has already been introduced to optimize some structures and functions. In the CONAP algorithm, some important parameters are designed by employing design sensitivities to enhance the capability of the method and its consistency in various optimum design problems, especially structural optimization. The cross-sectional area of the bar elements and the nodal coordinates of the truss are assumed to be the size and shape design variables, respectively. The displacement, allowable stress and the Euler buckling stress are taken as the design constraints for the problem. In the proposed method, the primary optimization problem is replaced with a sequence of explicit sub-problems. Each sub-problem is efficiently solved using the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm. Several truss structures are designed by employing the CONAP method to illustrate the efficiency of the algorithm for simultaneous shape and size optimization. The optimal solutions are compared with some of the mathematical programming algorithms, the approximation methods and metaheuristic algorithms those reported in the literature. Results demonstrate that the accuracy of the optimization is improved and the convergence rate speeds up.

• Architectural research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2012

The technique of integrated design optimization is proposed to design spatial structures. Various element technologies such as topology optimization, layout editing and size optimization processes are used in an integrated manner to improve the performance of spatial structures. In order to demonstrate the present technique, a unit spatial structure is optimized and numerical results are described here.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.6
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• pp.779-795
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• 2021

In the recent decades, various optimization algorithms have been considered for the optimization of structures. In this research, a new enhanced algorithm is used for the size and topology optimization of truss structures. This algorithm, which is obtained from the combination of Crow Search Algorithm (CSA) and the Cellular Automata (CA) method, is called CA-CSA method. In the first iteration of the CA-CSA method, some of the best designs of the crow's memory are first selected and then located in the cells of CA. Then, a random cell is selected from CA, and the best design is chosen from the selected cell and its neighborhood; it is considered as a "local superior design" (LSD). In the optimization process, the LSD design is used to modify the CSA method. Numerical examples show that the CA-CSA method is more effective than CSA in the size and topology optimization of the truss structures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.616-619
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• 2000

The optimum design of a structure requires to determine economical member size and shape of a structure which satisfies the design conditions and functions. In this study, it is attempted to minimize a dead weight of the bogie frame. Therefore, shape optimization is performed for a bolster rib at first and then size optimization for the thickness of top and bottom plate. For the efficient reduction of a weight of a bogie frame, various ellipses centered at a centroid of a bolster rib are made and tried. For the shape optimization, a major axis and an eccentricity of an ellipse are chosen as design variables. From the numerical results of shape and size optimization of a bogie frame, it is known that the weight can be reduced up to 12.476 Y4717.21 kg) with displacement and stress constraints.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.367-378
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• 2022

In this study, combined size and shape optimization of spatial truss tower structures are presented by using new optimization algorithms named Rao-1, and Rao-2. The nodal displacements, allowable stress and buckling for compressive members are taken into account as structural constraints for truss towers. The discrete and continuous design variables are used as design variables for size and shape optimization. To show the efficiency of the proposed optimization algorithm, 25-bar, and 39-bar 3D truss towers are solved for combined size and shape optimization. The 72-bar, and 160-bar 3D truss towers are solved only by size optimization. The optimal results obtained from this study are compared to those given in the literature to illustrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed algorithm. The structural analysis and the optimization process are coded in MATLAB programming.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.135-142
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• 2019

Ant colony optimization(ACO) technique is utilized in truss size optimization with frequency constraints. Total weight of truss to be minimized is considered as the objective function and multiple natural frequencies are adopted as constraints. The modified traveling salesman problem(TSP) is adopted and total length of the TSP tour is interpreted as the weight of the structure. The present ACO-based design optimization procedure uses discrete design variables and the penalty function is introduced to enforce design constraints during optimization process. Three numerical examples are carried out to verify the capability of ACO in truss optimization with frequency constraints. From numerical results, the present ACO is a very effective way of finding optimum design of truss structures in free vibration. Finally, we provide the present numerical results as future reference solutions.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.59-66
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• 2010

This study presents the topology optimization technique by density method to determine the initial shape of space truss structures. Most initial shape design is performed by designer's previous experiences and trial and error method instead of the application of reasonable optimization method. Thus, the reasonable and economical optimization methods are needed to be introduced for the initial shape design. Therefore, we set design domain for cantilever space truss structure as an example model. And topology optimization is used to obtain optimum layout for them, and then size optimization method is used to find the optimum member size. Therefore, the reasonable initial optimal shapes of spatial truss structures can be obtained through the topology and size optimization using density method.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2009

This study presents a structural design optimizing sizes of high-rise steel plane truss members by maximizing stiffness subjected to given volume constraints. The sizing optimum design is evaluated by using a well-known optimality criteria (OC) of gradient-based optimization methods. In typical size optimization methods, truss structures are optimized with respect to minimum weight with constraints on the value of some displacement and on the member stresses. The proposed method is an inversed size optimization process in comparisons with the typical size optimization methods since it maximizes stiffness associated with stresses or displacements subjected to volume constraints related to weight. The inversed approach is another alternative to classical size optimization methods in order to optimize members' sizes in truss structures. Numerical applications of a round shape steel pipe truss structure are studied to verify that the proposed maximum stiffness-based size optimization design is suitable for optimally developing truss members's sizes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.289-303
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• 2015

This study presents a strategy so-called Subspace Search Mechanism (SSM) for reducing the computational time for convergence of population based metaheusristic algorithms. The selected metaheuristic for this study is the Cuckoo Search algorithm (CS) dealing with size optimization of trusses. The complexity of structural optimization problems can be partially due to the presence of high-dimensional design variables. SSM approach aims to reduce dimension of the problem. Design variables are categorized to predefined groups (subspaces). SSM focuses on the multiple use of the metaheuristic at hand for each subspace. Optimizer updates the design variables for each subspace independently. Updating rules require candidate designs evaluation. Each candidate design is the assemblage of responsible set of design variables that define the subspace of interest. SSM is incorporated to the Cuckoo Search algorithm for size optimizing of three small, moderate and large space trusses. Optimization results indicate that SSM enables the CS to work with less number of population (42%), as a result reducing the time of convergence, in exchange for some accuracy (1.5%). It is shown that the loss of accuracy can be lessened with increasing the order of complexity. This suggests its applicability to other algorithms and other complex finite element-based engineering design problems.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.467-486
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• 2017

A method for decoupling reliability based design optimization problem into a set of deterministic optimization and performing a reliability analysis is described. The inner reliability analysis and the outer optimization are performed separately in a sequential manner. Since the outer optimizer must perform a large number of iterations to find the optimized shape and size of structure, the computational cost is very high. Therefore, during the course of this research, new multilevel reliability optimization methods are developed that divide the design domain into two sub-spaces to be employed in an iterative procedure: one of the shape design variables, and the other of the size design variables. In each iteration, the probability constraints are converted into equivalent deterministic constraints using reliability analysis and then implemented in the deterministic optimization problem. The framework is first tested on a short column with cross-sectional properties as design variables, the applied loads and the yield stress as random variables. In addition, two cases of curvilinearly stiffened panels subjected to uniform shear and compression in-plane loads, and two cases of curvilinearly stiffened panels subjected to shear and compression loads that vary in linear and quadratic manner are presented.