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Article Citation - WoS: 11Citation - Scopus: 10Multi-Stage Guided Stochastic Search for Optimization and Standardization of Free-Form Steel Double-Layer Grids(Elsevier Science inc, 2021) Azad, Saeid Kazemzadeh; Aminbakhsh, Saman; Shaban, Samer S. S.There has been a growing interest in the use of free-form structures with irregularly curved yet aesthetically pleasing configurations in the recent decades. Although design optimization of regular steel grids has been well addressed in the literature of structural optimization, still limited work has been devoted to optimum design of real-size free-form grid structures. On the one hand, a main obstacle when dealing with real-size free-form steel grids is the excessive computational effort associated with contemporary evolutionary optimization algorithms. On the other hand, it is generally perceived that the obtained final designs using conventional optimization algorithms may not necessarily be favored in practice if certain provisions are not stipulated by the algorithm to preclude an abundance of distinct steel section sizes in the final design. Hence, instead of offering a single optimum or near optimum design, it would be more desirable to provide the designer or decision maker with a Pareto front set of non-dominated design alternatives taking into account both the minimum weight as well as the assortment of available steel section sizes in the final design. Accordingly, in this paper, a computationally efficient multi-stage guided stochastic search algorithm is proposed for optimization and standardization of realsize free-form steel double-layer grids. A gradual design-oriented section elimination approach is followed where in the first optimization stage, a complete set of commercially available steel sections is introduced to the algorithm and in the succeeding stages, the size of section list is reduced by eliminating the redundant sizes. Two variants of the algorithm are employed to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed technique in challenging test examples of free-form steel double-layer grids, and the obtained Pareto fronts are plotted to illustrate the trade-off between minimum weight and assortment of steel section sizes in the final design.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2Structural Design Optimization of Multi-Layer Spherical Pressure Vessels: a Metaheuristic Approach(Springer, 2019) Akis, Tolga; Azad, Saeid KazemzadehThis study addresses the optimum design problem of multi-layer spherical pressure vessels based on von Mises yield criterion. In order to compute the structural responses under internal pressure, analytical solutions for one-, two-, and three-layer spherical pressure vessels are provided. A population-based metaheuristic algorithm is reformulated for optimum material selection as well as thickness optimization of multi-layer spherical pressure vessels. Furthermore, in order to enhance the computational efficiency of the optimization algorithm, upper bound strategy is also integrated with the algorithm for reducing the total number of structural response evaluations during the optimization iterations. The performance of the algorithm is investigated through weight and cost minimization of one-, two- and three-layer spherical pressure vessels and the results are presented in detail. The obtained numerical results, based on different internal pressures as well as vessel sizes, indicate the usefulness and efficiency of the employed methodology in optimum design of multi-layer spherical pressure vessels.Article Citation - WoS: 11Citation - Scopus: 13Automated Selection of Optimal Material for Pressurized Multi-Layer Composite Tubes Based on an Evolutionary Approach(Springer London Ltd, 2018) Azad, Saeid Kazemzadeh; Akis, TolgaDecision making on the configuration of material layers as well as thickness of each layer in composite assemblies has long been recognized as an optimization problem. Today, on the one hand, abundance of industrial alloys with different material properties and costs facilitates fabrication of more economical or light weight assemblies. On the other hand, in the design stage, availability of different alternative materials apparently increases the complexity of the design optimization problem and arises the need for efficient optimization techniques. In the present study, the well-known big bang-big crunch optimization algorithm is reformulated for optimum design of internally pressurized tightly fitted multi-layer composite tubes with axially constrained ends. An automated material selection and thickness optimization approach is employed for both weight and cost minimization of one-, two-, and three-layer tubes, and the obtained results are compared. The numerical results indicate the efficiency of the proposed approach in practical optimum design of multi-layer composite tubes under internal pressure and quantify the optimality of different composite assemblies compared to one-layer tubes.Article Citation - WoS: 25Citation - Scopus: 28Simultaneous Size and Geometry Optimization of Steel Trusses Under Dynamic Excitations(Springer, 2018) Kazemzadeh Azad, Saeid; Bybordiani, Milad; Kazemzadeh Azad, Sina; Jawad, Farqad K. J.During the past decades, the main focus of the research in steel truss optimization has been tailored towards optimal design under static loading conditions and limited work has been devoted to investigating the optimum structural design considering dynamic excitations. This study addresses the simultaneous size and geometry optimization problem of steel truss structures subjected to dynamic excitations. Using the well-known big bang-big crunch algorithm, the minimum-weight design of steel trusses is conducted under both periodic and non-periodic excitations. In the case of periodic excitations, in order to examine the effect of the exciting period of the dynamic load on the final results, the design instances are optimized under different exciting periods and the obtained results are compared. It is observed that by increasing the excitation period of the considered sinusoidal loading as well as the finite rise time of the non-periodic step force, the optimization results approach the minimum design weight obtained under the static loading counterpart. However, in the case of the studied rectangular periodic excitation, the results obtained do not approach the optimum design associated with the static loading case even for higher values of the exciting period.
