Optimization Tools for the Design of Structures

Inspired by the seminal paper by Michell (1904), engineers have investigated several tools for the optimization of structural shapes and systems to be employed during the design process. Structural optimization attracts increasing interest in the building industry, especially in the design of high-rise buildings. By selectively distributing the structural members in the building, the efficiency of the resulting design can be optimized; often aesthetically pleasant form can be achieved. Although Michell trusses represent a valuable starting point in defining optimal structural systems, analytical solutions have been derived only for relatively simple load conditions and geometries. Recently, along with the increased computing power, efficient numerical methods have been developed to generate optimal structural solutions for various problems. This paper presents recent developments in optimization methods which have been used for the design of novel structures. Concepts of growth, genetics, and emergence are introduced as context into the fundamental concepts presented. Growth patterns in nature can service as guidelines of how an optimal structure might be conceived. Genetics provide an understanding of how the blueprint of life, DNA, can be used to develop optimal solutions using genetic algorithms. Emergence theory suggests that interactions among parts serve to create something that is not realized until individual parts work in concurrence to comprise the whole. This concept is displayed through topology optimization. Several high-rise structures are described as examples of how these concepts can be applied to the development of structural systems.