The harmony search heuristic algorithm for discrete structural optimization |
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Authors: | Kang Seok Lee Zong Woo Geem Sang-ho Lee Kyu-woong Bae |
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Affiliation: | 1. Advanced Structure Research Station (STRESS) , Hanyang University , Seoul, 133-791, Korea ksleenist@hotmail.com;3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Maryland , College Park, MD, 20742, USA;4. Department of Architectural Engineering , Pusan National University , Pusan, 609-735, Korea;5. Building Structure &6. Material Engineering Group , Korea Institute of Construction Technology (KICT) , Kyonggi-do, 411-712, Korea |
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Abstract: | Many methods have been developed and are in use for structural size optimization problems, in which the cross-sectional areas or sizing variables are usually assumed to be continuous. In most practical structural engineering design problems, however, the design variables are discrete. This paper proposes an efficient optimization method for structures with discrete-sized variables based on the harmony search (HS) heuristic algorithm. The recently developed HS algorithm was conceptualized using the musical process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. It uses a stochastic random search instead of a gradient search so that derivative information is unnecessary. In this article, a discrete search strategy using the HS algorithm is presented in detail and its effectiveness and robustness, as compared to current discrete optimization methods, are demonstrated through several standard truss examples. The numerical results reveal that the proposed method is a powerful search and design optimization tool for structures with discrete-sized members, and may yield better solutions than those obtained using current methods. |
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Keywords: | Structural optimization Discrete-sized members Harmony search Heuristic algorithm Truss structures Stochastic random search |
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