Analysis and Optimization of Prismatic and Axisymmetric shell Structures

Abstract

In Structural design, it is necessary to obtain an appropriate geometric shape for the structure, so that it can carry the imposed newlineloads safely and economically. The increasing effectiveness and user- newlinefriendliness of modern computer technology coupled with robustness and versatility of recently developed algorithms in computational mechanics have opened up the possibilities of finding efficient forms newlinefor many structural shapes including shells. This can be achieved by the use of structural shape optimization (SSO) procedures in which newlinethe shape and/or the thickness of the components of the structure are varied to achieve a specific objective satisfying certain constraints. Structural optimization combines mathematics and mechanics with newlineengineering and has become a ultidisciplinary field with applications in areas such as civil, mechanical and aeronautical engineering. Structural optimization is concerned with achieving the best design newlinefor a given objective while satisfying certain restrictions.