On the design optimization of built-up stiffened steel beams with buckling and frequency constraints

The literature on the structural design optimization of steel-plate girders indicates a need for more refined research studies to obtain optimal designs by formulating and solving the design problem that combines structural sizing and shape parameters in one unified, constrained problem. For this purpose, the structural optimization design problem of stiffened steel-plate girders is formulated with specified loading conditions and constraints on strength and serviceability considerations including limits on fundamental frequency and buckling modes. The finite-element method-based model is used to define the objective function and the structural/geometric response functions, while the geometric domain elements are used to systematically perturb the structural shape during the search for an optimal shape of the structure. The mathematical statement of the gradient-based-design problem is solved for an optimal structural size and shape with buckling and frequency constraints in addition to the traditional strength constraints. The numerical results obtained are compared with results obtained from a less formal ad hoc design procedure, and some conclusions are drawn to emphasize the design benefits obtained from solving the design problem for optimal structural size and shape.