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An integrated approach to the synthesis of geometrically non‐linear structures
Author(s) -
Smaoui H.,
Schmit L. A.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
international journal for numerical methods in engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.421
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1097-0207
pISSN - 0029-5981
DOI - 10.1002/nme.1620260304
Subject(s) - truss , buckling , finite element method , linear elasticity , mathematical optimization , mathematics , element (criminal law) , instability , structural system , computer science , structural engineering , engineering , mechanics , physics , political science , law
An integrated approach to the minimum weight design of geometrically non‐linear three dimensional truss structures with geometric imperfections, subject to inequality constraints on static displacements, stresses, local buckling and cross sectional areas, is investigated. The integrated structural synthesis problem involves design and response quantities as independent variables and equilibrium equations, describing the finite element model, as equality constraints. The non‐linear structural analysis and the optimization are thus merged together into a single process. A computer program developed to compute the contraint values and analytical gradients is coupled with a generalized reduced gradient algorithm to solve the integrated problem. Numerical results for a geometrically non‐linear shallow dome example problem are presented for various types of imperfections. Furthermore, it is found that the algorithm is capable of detecting and guarding against system as well as element elastic instability using equilibrium information only, that is, without imposing system and local buckling inequality constraints.