DISCRETE OPTIMIZATION OF SHALLOW TRUSSES WITH STABILITY CONSTRAINTS

摘要

A new implicit enumeration method is proposed lor discrete minimal weight design of shallow trusses with stability constraints. Structural instability constraints and member buckling are considered as well. In this approach the usual critical load level computation is replaced by an equilibrium path computation from the zero load level to the applied load level. The discrete optimal design method is formulated as an exterior point tree search problem that maintains an upper bound, the lowest weight of any feasible solution found so tar. Any node generated can be immediately discarded if its weight is greater than or equal to the current upper bound value. To illustrate the efficiency of the algorithm, a shallow dome structure is tested.