• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제27권2호
• /
• pp.177-184
• /
• 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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제35권1호
• /
• pp.129-145
• /
• 2020

In typical, structural topology optimization plays a significant role to both increase stiffness and save mass of structures in the resulting design. This study contributes to a new numerical approach of topologically optimal design of Mindlin-Reissner plates considering Winkler foundation and mathematical formulations of multi-directional variable thickness of the plate by using multi-materials. While achieving optimal multi-material topologies of the plate with multi-directional variable thickness, the weight information of structures in terms of effective utilization of the material at the appropriate thickness location may be provided for engineers and designers of structures. Besides, numerical techniques of the well-established mixed interpolation of tensorial components 4 element (MITC4) is utilized to overcome a well-known shear locking problem occurring to thin plate models. The well-founded mathematical formulation of topology optimization problem with variable thickness Mindlin-Reissner plate structures by using multiple materials is derived in detail as one of main achievements of this article. Numerical examples verify that variable thickness Mindlin-Reissner plates on Winkler foundation have a significant effect on topologically optimal multi-material design results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제47권3호
• /
• pp.365-374
• /
• 2023

This paper presents a new scheme for constructing locking-free finite elements in thick and thin plates, called Discrete Shear Gap element (DSG), using multiphase material topology optimization for triangular elements of Reissner-Mindlin plates. Besides, common methods are also presented in this article, such as quadrilateral element (Q4) and reduced integration method. Moreover, when the plate gets too thin, the transverse shear-locking problem arises. To avoid that phenomenon, the stabilized discrete shear gap technique is utilized in the DSG3 system stiffness matrix formulation. The accuracy and efficiency of DSG are demonstrated by the numerical examples, and many superior properties are presented, such as being a strong competitor to the common kind of Q4 elements in the static topology optimization and its computed results are confirmed against those derived from the three-node triangular element, and other existing solutions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제29권5호
• /
• pp.635-645
• /
• 2018

Beam-column joints play a significant role in static and dynamic performances of reinforced concrete frame structures. This study contributes a numerical approach of topologically optimal design of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) to retrofit existing beam-column connections with crack patterns. In recent, CFRP is used commonly in the rehabilitation and strengthening of concrete members due to the remarkable properties, such as lightweight, anti-corrosion and simplicity to execute construction. With the target to provide an optimal CFRP configuration to effectively retrofit the beam-column connection under semi-failure situation such as given cracks, extended finite element method (X-FEM) is used by combining with multi-material topology optimization (MTO) as a mechanical description approach for strong discontinuity state to mechanically model cracked structures. The well founded mathematical formulation of topology optimization problem for cracked structures by using multiple materials is described in detail in this study. In addition, moved and regularized Heaviside functions (MRHF), that have the role of a filter in multiple materials case, is also considered. The numerical example results illustrated in two cases of beam-column joints with stationary cracks verify the validity, benefit and supremacy of the proposed method.