Approximate optimization for truss design

The subject of this paper is the design of trusses subject to stress constraints. This is a well-known problem in the structural optimization field and has been addressed with both traditional and new techniques. In this study, the structural design of the truss is nearly optimal, meaning that the method allows for some redundancy in the final solution. The advantage in using the current approach is that it could be used as a preliminary design to be refined later on. The method under investigation can also be employed as a definitive solution to the design problem when a near-optimal solution is acceptable. Computationally, the method is very efficient and does not necessitate of a lengthy algorithm for the solution. The results of the structural design performed with the technique under investigation compare favorably with the ones presented in literature. At the present moment, only trusses with stress constraint are being investigated. The extension of this work in the near future is to incorporate displacement constraints.