Computational Heuristics and their Use in Optimisation of Two-Dimensional Trusses

摘要

This paper is focused on demonstrating the application of computational methods, known as heuristics, in search of good solutions for plane truss structural analyses. The problem of structural optimisation was thought to obtain the minimal cross sectional area of the bars, restricted to the limitations imposed by the project. Genetic Algorithms, Variable Neighbourhood Search (VNS), Grasp, Simulated Annealing, Tabu Search and Ant Colony were used, and customised, with the goal of finding alternative shapes to minimise the weight - and therefore the costs - of the studied structures. The advantages and drawbacks of each method are presented and discussed, including the analysis of the results obtained in three different structural problems, and also compared to the results of the different methods applied to the examples.