Influence of buckling constraints on reliability based multiobjective design of truss structures

Abstract

The paper examines the influence of including buckling constraints in the multiobjective optimization of truss structures for minimal mass and maximal reliability. Uncertainties in external loads and material properties are included in the structural analysis and evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithms are used to establish the non-dominated solutions fronts. A fast and efficient approach to compute the system reliability index for complex bar structures, based on the reliability indices of individual bar components, is used in the reliability computations. A simple classical test case of a six bar truss is used in all numerical experiments. Results show that the quality of the non-dominated design set seems unaffected by the introduction of buckling considerations; nevertheless, a lesser number of solutions are located on the optimal front. ©Civil-Comp Press, 2011.