OPTIMUM DESIGN OF SKELETAL STRUCTURES USING METAHEURISTICS: A SURVEY OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART

Abstract

During the past decades, inherent complexity of practical structural optimization problems motivated the researchers to develop efficient and robust optimization techniques. Undoubtedly, most of the recently developed optimization algorithms for optimum design of skeletal structures belong to the class of stochastic search algorithms or metaheuristics. This study is an attempt to outline the state-of-the-art in optimum design of skeletal structures as well as today's main concerns in this field. Some of the most recent applications of metaheuristics are summarized, and a brief conclusion of today's trend towards the computationally enhanced techniques is provided.