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Optimization of structural design

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Abstract

Typical problems of optimal structural design are discussed to indicate mathematical techniques used in this field. An introductory example (Section 2) concerns the design of a beam for prescribed maximal deflection and shows how suitable discretization may lead to a problem of nonlinear programming, in this case, convex programming. The problem of optimal layout of a truss (Section 3) is discussed at some length. A new method of establishing optimality criteria (Section 4) is illustrated by the optimal design of a statically indeterminate beam of segmentwise constant or continuously varying cross section for given deflection under a single concentrated load. Other applications of this method (Section 5) are briefly discussed, and a simple example of multipurpose design (Section 6) concludes the paper.

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Author notes

  1. W. Prager (Professor)

    Present address: Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California

    W. Prager (Professor)

Authors
  1. W. Prager
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Additional information

Invited lecture presented at the Symposium on Optimization, SIAM 1968 National Meeting, Toronto, Canada. The manuscript was prepared in the course of research supported by the U.S. Army Research Office, Durham, North Carolina, under Research Grant No. DA-ARO-D-31-124-G1008.

Reprinted with permission fromStudies in Optimization, Vol. 1, 1969. Copyright 1970 by Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. All rights reserved.

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Prager, W. Optimization of structural design. J Optim Theory Appl 6, 1–21 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927037

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927037

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