DESIGN OF FRAMED STRUCTURES - AN INTEGRATED NONLINEAR-ANALYSIS AND OPTIMAL MINIMUM WEIGHT DESIGN

The aim of this paper is to develop a structural optimization algorith m based on optimality criterion approach to achieve a minimum weight s tructure that satisfies a set of displacement constraints. Optimal des igns are found considering both linear an? non-linear behaviour of the structure and compared through an example problem. Many algorithms ha ve been developed to determine the optimal minimum weight design of fr amed structures under a set of displacement constraints; however, in a lmost all of them linear analyses are performed. This paper shows how the non-linear analysis will effect the optimal design of a structure. (C) 1998 crohn Wiley & Sons, Ltd.