Abstract
In this paper, a simple method for topology optimization of frame structures is proposed. In this method, ESO (Evolutionary Structural Optimization) method is applied to ground structure method. An exact optimal solution may not be obtained by ESO method because it is a heuristic method. However, the approximate solution useful for structural design can be obtained by this method. In the proposed method, the ground structure is generated by connecting all nodes by beam elements (but it is possible to limit the maximum length of the elements, and it is also possible to remove the unnecessary elements), and in the optimization process, the elements with the lowest strain energy are deleted based on ESO method. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, in several numerical examples, the solutions obtained by the proposed method are compared with the solutions obtained by the density approach method (mathematical programming).
