Bounds on minimum weight design

Abstract

A somewhat limited design procedure for elastic-perfectly plastic structures was developed previously [1] ∗ ∗ ^{**} . It is extended here to provide upper and lower bounds on the minimum weight of three dimensional structures and is specialized to safe one and two dimensional structures in which either direct stresses or bending stresses are negligible. The generalization also includes the influence of body forces. In principle, therefore, such troublesome factors as the weight of the structure itself or centrifugal “forces” may be designed for in a direct manner. Radially symmetric plane stress and plate bending examples are solved to demonstrate direct design procedures.