Abstract
This note discusses the performances and applications of two methods generally used in structural optimization. One is the direct method which applies a nonlinear programming (NLP) algorithm directly to the structural optimization problem. The other is the approximation method which utilizes the engineering sense very well. The two methods are compared through standard structural optimization problems with truss and beam elements. The results are analysed based on the convergence performances, the number of function calculations, the quality of the cost functions, etc. The applications of both methods are also discussed.
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Park, Y.S., Lee, S.H. & Park, G.J. A study of direct vs. approximation methods in structural optimization. Structural Optimization 10, 64–66 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01743697
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01743697