The development of a minimum weight design algorithm using fully stressed design iteration
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Date
1984
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Abstract
This thesis presents the development and results of an iterative method for obtaining a minimum weight structural design, called an optimum design. The optimum design iteration is based on a sequence of fully stressed designs, each intermediate design possessing a distinct set of allowable stresses that force the desirable design changes to occur. The test for the optimum state is based on the Kuhn-Tucker conditions, where negative Lagrange multipliers in the set identify element parameters that can be changed to produce a lighter weight structure. Five case studies are presented to demonstrate the algorithm.