Effects of structural optimization on practical roof truss construction

Abstract

In truss structural optimization the most frequently optimized factor of a structure is its weight. The minimization of weight contributes not only to savings in material, but also in other aspects of the structure such as number of elements used, number of welds needed, outer surface area, etc. This research aims to show the difference in optimal solutions for four different topological cases of a typical trapezoidal roof truss looking at their effects on overall outer surface area. The truss layouts are optimized for sizing, and a combination of sizing and shape with a minimal weight objective function. In order to ensure the most practically applicable solutions the example optimized in this paper uses dynamic constraints for buckling, stress constraints, and nodal displacement constraints. The overall outer surface area for all cases is compared, as surface protection accounts for a substantial part of the total cost of roof truss construction. Optimal solutions show a lack of correlation between weight and surface area, which is discussed in the conclusion.