• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.4
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• pp.547-560
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• 2022

By presetting various reinforcement diameters in topology optimization with the discrete model finite element analysis, an algorithm of bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization of multi-level reinforcement diameter is presented to obtain the optimal reinforcement topologies which describe the degree of stress of different parts. The results of a comparative study on different reinforcement feasible domain demonstrate that the more angle types of reinforcement are arranged in the initial domain, the higher utilization rate of reinforcement of the optimal topology becomes. According to the nonlinear finite element analysis of some deep beam examples, the ones designed with the optimization results have a certain advantage in ultimate bearing capacity, although their failure modes are greatly affected by the reinforcement feasible domain. Furthermore, the bearing capacity can be improved when constructional reinforcements are added in the subsequent design. However the adding would change the relative magnitude of the bearing capacity between the normal and inclined section, or the relative magnitude between the flexural and shear capacity within the inclined section, which affects the failure modes of components. Meanwhile, the adding would reduce the deformation capacity of the components as well. It is suggested that the inclined reinforcement and the constructional reinforcement should be added properly to ensure a desired ductile failure mode for components.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.165-179
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• 2007

For the purpose of optimum design of reinforced concrete structures, pre-determined section database of column and beam are constructed and arranged in order of the resisting capacity. Then, regression equations representing the relation between section number and section resisting capacity are derived. In advance, effective optimization algorithms which search optimized solution quickly using direct search method from these database are proposed. In practice, from the fact that engineers conduct member design close to capacity optimization rather than cost optimization, both capacity and cost optimization using proposed algorithms are performed, and the review for the obtained results are followed. Moreover, the investigation for the applicability and effectiveness of the Introduced design procedure is conducted through correlation study for example structures. Because of no restriction in constructing objective functions with very simple optimization processes and fast convergence, the introduced method can effectively be used in the preliminary design stage. Especially, selected solutions from database are directly applicable in practice because these sections already satisfy all the requirements in design codes and practical restrictions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.959-982
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• 2015

In this study, a non-stationary random earthquake Clough-Penzien model is used to describe earthquake ground motion. Using stochastic direct integration in combination with an equivalent linear method, a solution is established to describe the non-stationary response of lead-rubber bearing (LRB) system to a stochastic earthquake. Two parameters are used to develop an optimization method for bearing design: the post-yielding stiffness and the normalized yield strength of the isolation bearing. Using the minimization of the maximum energy response level of the upper structure subjected to an earthquake as an objective function, and with the constraints that the bearing failure probability is no more than 5% and the second shape factor of the bearing is less than 5, a calculation method for the two optimal design parameters is presented. In this optimization process, the radial basis function (RBF) response surface was applied, instead of the implicit objective function and constraints, and a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm was used to solve the optimization problems. By considering the uncertainties of the structural parameters and seismic ground motion input parameters for the optimization of the bearing design, convex set models (such as the interval model and ellipsoidal model) are used to describe the uncertainty parameters. Subsequently, the optimal bearing design parameters were expanded at their median values into first-order Taylor series expansions, and then, the Lagrange multipliers method was used to determine the upper and lower boundaries of the parameters. Moreover, using a calculation example, the impacts of site soil parameters, such as input peak ground acceleration, bearing diameter and rubber shore hardness on the optimization parameters, are investigated.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.251-261
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• 2006

The objective of this work is to apply artificial neural networks for solving inverse problems in the structural optimization of a fiber optic pressure sensor. For the sensor under investigation to achieve a desired accuracy, the change in the distance between the tips of the two fibers due to the applied pressure should not interfere with the phase change due to the change in the density of the air between the two fibers. Therefore, accurate dynamic analysis and structural optimization of the sensor is essential to ensure the accuracy of the measurements provided by the sensor. To this end, a normal mode analysis and a transient response analysis of the sensor were performed by combining commercial finite element analysis package, MSC/NASTRAN, and MATLAB. Furthermore, a parametric study on the design of the sensor was performed to minimize the size of the sensor while fulfilling a number of constraints. In performing the parametric study, the need for a relationship between the design parameters and the response of the sensor was fulfilled by using a neural network. The whole process of the dynamic analysis using commercial finite element analysis package and the parameter optimization of the sensor were automated within the MATLAB environment.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2018

This study contributes to evaluate multiphase topology optimization design of plate-like structures on elastic foundations by using classic plate theory. Multi-material optimal topology and shape are produced as an alternative to provide reasonable material assignments based on stress distributions. Multi-material topology optimization problem is solved through an alternative active-phase algorithm with Gauss-Seidel version as an optimization model of optimality criteria. Stiffness and adjoint sensitivity formulations linked to thin plate potential strain energy are derived in terms of multiphase design variables and Winkler-Pasternak parameters considering elastic foundation to apply to the current topology optimization. Numerical examples verify efficiency and diversity of the present topology optimization method of elastic thin plates depending on multiple materials and Winkler-Pasternak parameters with the same amount of volume fraction and total structural volume.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.285-306
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• 2009

In the literature the problem of the topology optimization of the structure is usually solved for one, clearly described from the mechanical point of view material. Generally the topology optimization answers the question of the distribution of this mentioned above material within the design domain. Finally, material-voids distribution it is obtained. In this paper, for the structure mainly strengthened or sometimes weakened by the inclusions, the variation approach of the topology optimization problem is formulated. This multi material approach may be useful for the design process of various mechanical or civil engineering structures which need to be more "refined" and more "optimal" than they can be using previous topology optimization procedures of optimization one material structures.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2004

The main objective of the research is to develop an algorithm for the optimum design of two dimensional steel frames using refined plastic hinge analysis which considers material and geometrical nonlinearities. Using developed algorithm, an optimum design was perform without calculating an effective length factor of the column (K-factor). A multi-level discrete optimization technique with two parameters has been developed and employed in the optimum design algorithm. The optimization algorithm is applied to structural design with the objective of minimizing the weight of a structure and with constraints on load limit, frame drift, ductility. Various application example is provided to demonstrate the feasibility, validity and efficiency of the developed program.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2000.04b
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• pp.159-167
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• 2000

In optimization problems, computationally intensive or expensive simulations hinder the use of standard optimization techniques because the computational expense is too heavy to implement them at each iteration of the optimization algorithm. Therefore, those expensive simulations are often replaced with approximation models which can be evaluated nearly free. However, because of the limited accuracy of the approximation models, it is practically impossible to find an exact optimal point of the original problem. Significant efforts have been made to overcome this problem. The approximation models are sequentially updated during the iterative optimization process such that interesting design points are included. The interesting points have a strong influence on making the approximation model capture an overall trend of the original function or improving the accuracy of the approximation in the vicinity of a minimizer. They are successively determined at each iteration by utilizing the predictive ability of the approximation model. This paper will focuses on those approaches and introduces various approximation methods.

• Computational Structural Engineering : An International Journal
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2001

The general topology optimization can be considered as optimal material distribution. Such an approach can be unstable, unless composite materials are introduced. In this research, a nodal volume fraction method is used to obtain the optimum topology of continuum structures. This method is conducted from a composite material model composed of isotropic matter and spherical void. Because the appearance of the chessboard patterns makes the interpretation of the optimal material layout very difficult, this method contains a chessboard prevention strategy. In this research, several topology optimization problems are presented to demonstrate the validity of the present method and the recursive quadratic programming algorithm is used to solve the topology optimization problems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.1093-1117
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• 2016

Global sensitivity analysis (GSA) has been widely used to investigate the sensitivity of the model output with respect to its input parameters. In this paper a new single-solution search optimization algorithm is developed based on the GSA, and applied to the size optimization of truss structures. In this method the search space of the optimization is determined using the sensitivity indicator of variables. Unlike the common meta-heuristic algorithms, where all the variables are simultaneously changed in the optimization process, in this approach the sensitive variables of solution are iteratively changed more rapidly than the less sensitive ones in the search space. Comparisons of the present results with those of some previous population-based meta-heuristic algorithms demonstrate its capability, especially for decreasing the number of fitness functions evaluations, in solving the presented benchmark problems.