Optimization of 3d ground-structures with constraints of overlapping bars

Resumo

The ground-structure is a manner of representing solid geometries in an optimization problem. Opti-
mizing mass in ground-structures truss models means leaving the geometry with bars where the main stress chains

occur, i.e., searching for its performance. In real-world applications, describing geometry as a ground-structure
might be beneficial since the results are composed of bars and might be easier to manufacture. Also, depending on
the length of the bar, it might represent multiple elements in a continuous traditional mesh, which will likely reduce
the computational cost of the design’s analysis. The solutions from traditional optimization processes with meshes
consisting of polygonal elements and ground-structure approaches should be quite similar, as this last method has
been largely used lately in literature. This work deals with topology optimization of 3d ground-structures truss
models with constraints of non-overlapping bars and maximum material volume. The algorithm chosen is the
Differential Evolution (DE) coupled with the Adaptive Penalty Method (APM) to handle the constraints.