• 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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.501-515
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• 2016

Seismic analysis for steel frame structure with brace configuration using topology optimization based on truss-like material model is studied. The initial design domain for topology optimization is determined according to original steel frame structure and filled with truss-like members. Hence the initial truss-like continuum is established. The densities and orientation of truss-like members at any point are taken as design variables in finite element analysis. The topology optimization problem of least-weight truss-like continuum with stress constraints is solved. The orientations and densities of members in truss-like continuum are optimized and updated by fully-stressed criterion in every iteration. The optimized truss-like continuum is founded after finite element analysis is finished. The optimal bracing system is established based on optimized truss-like continuum without numerical instability. Seismic performance for steel frame structures is derived using dynamic time-history analysis. A numerical example shows the advantage for frame structures with brace configuration using topology optimization in seismic performance.

• 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 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.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2018

Topology optimization of steel and concrete composite based on truss-like material model is studied in this paper. First, the initial design domain is filled with concrete, and the steel is distributed in it. The problem of topology optimization is to minimize the volume of steel material and solved by full stress method. Then the optimized steel and concrete composite truss-like continuum is obtained. Finally, the distribution of steel material is determined based on the optimized truss-like continuum. Several numerical results indicate the numerical instability and rough boundary are settled. And more details of manufacture and construction can be presented based on the truss-like material model. Hence, the truss-like material model of steel and concrete is efficient to establish the distribution of steel material in concrete.

• 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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.43-58
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• 2015

There are many studies on the optimization of steel trusses in literature; and, a large number of them include a shape optimization. However, only a few of these studies are focused on the prestressed steel trusses. Therefore, this paper aims to determine the amounts of the material and cost savings in steel plane trusses in the case of prestressing. A parallel-chord simply supported steel truss is handled as an example to evaluate the used approach. It is considered that prestressing tendon is settled under the bottom bar, between two end supports, using deviators. Cross-sections of the truss members and height of the truss are taken as the design variables. The prestress losses are calculated in two steps as instantaneous losses and time-dependent losses. Tension increment in prestressing tendon due to the external loads is also considered. A computer program based on genetic algorithm is developed to solve the optimization problem. The handled truss is optimized for different span lengths and different tendon eccentricities using the coded program. The effects of span length and eccentricity of tendon on prestressed truss optimization are investigated. The results of different solutions are compared with each other and those of the non-prestressed solution. It is concluded that the amounts of the material and the cost of a steel plane truss can be reduced up to 19.9% and 14.6%, respectively, by applying prestressing.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.855-864
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• 2022

Due to limited resources, and increasing speed of development, the optimal use of available resources has become the most important challenge of human societies. In the last few decades, many researchers have focused their research on solving various optimization problems, providing new optimization methods, and improving the performance of existing optimization methods. Echolocation Search Algorithm (ESA) is an evolutionary optimization algorithm that is based on mimicking the mechanism of the animals such as bats, dolphins, oilbirds, etc in food finding to solve optimization problems. In this paper, the ability of ESA for solving truss size optimization problems with continuous variables is investigated. To examine the efficiency of ESA, three benchmark examples are considered. The numerical results exhibit the effectiveness of ESA for solving truss optimization problems.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.143-155
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• 2001

Generally, truss design has been determined by the designer's experience and intuition. But if we perform the most economical structural design we must consider not only cross-sections of members but also configurations(howe, warren and pratt types etc.) of single truss as the number of panel and truss height. The purpose of this study is to develope automated optimum design techniques for steel truss structures considering cross-sections of members and shape of trusses simultaneously. As the results, it could be possible to find easily the optimum solutions subject to design conditions at the preliminary structural design stage of the steel truss structures. In this study, the objective function is expressed as the whole member weight of trusses, and the applied constraints are as stresses, slenderness ratio, local buckling, deflection, member cross-sectional dimensions and truss height etc. The automated optimum design algorithm of this study is divided into three-level procedures. The first level on member cross-sectional optimization is performed by the sequential unconstrained minimization technique(SUMT) using dynamic programming method. And the second level about truss height optimization is applied for obtaining the optimum truss height by three-equal interval search method. The last level of optimization is applied for obtaining the optimum panel number of truss by integer programming method. The algorithm of multi-level optimization programming technique proposed in this study is more helpful for the economical design of plane trusses as well as space trusses.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.53-57
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• 2003

Optimum design of most structural system requires that design variables are regarded as discrete quantities. This paper presents the use of Genetic Algorithm for determining the optimum design for truss with discrete variables. Genetic Algorithm are know as heuristic search algorithms, and are effective global search methods for discrete optimization. In this paper, Elitism and the method of conferring penalty parameters in the design variables, in order to achieve improved fitness in the reproduction process, is used in the Genetic Algorithm. A 10-Bar plane truss and a 25-Bar space truss are used for discrete optimization. These structures are designed for stress and displacement constraints, but buckling is not considered. In particular, we obtain continuous solution using Genetic Algorithms for a 10-bar truss, compared with other results. The effectiveness of Genetic Algorithms for global optimization is demonstrated through two truss examples.