TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION DESIGN OF PRESTRESSED PLANE ENTITY STRUCTURES BASED ON STRAIN ENERGY

A topology optimization design method for prestressed plane entity steel structrues is proposed. The optimization mathematical model is established in such a form that the cables’ pretension force and the structural topology are design variables, the structural total strain energy is constrain condition, and the minimum structural weight is the objective function. Then, the cables’ pretension force can be determined by minimizing structural strain energy (maximizing structural stiffness). After that, the method of evolutionary structure optimization (ESO) is applied to achieve structural topology optimization by deleting elements with low strain energy, and the structural weight is also reduced. The example result coincides with the corresponding structural performance, which indicates the proposed optimization design method is feasible.