Simulated annealing for the design of structures with time-varying constraints

The optimal design of structural systems with conventional members or systems with conventional as well as passive or active members is presented. The optimal sizes of the conventional members of structural systems are obtained for dynamic loads. A modified simulated annealing algorithm is presented which is used to solve the optimization problem with dynamic constraints. The present algorithm differs from existing simulated annealing algorithms in two respects; first, an automatic reduction of the search range is performed, and second, a sensitivity analysis of the design variables is utilized. The present method converges to the minimum in less iterations when compared to existing simulated annealing algorithms. The algorithm is advantageous over classical methods for optimization of structural systems with constraints arising from dynamic loads. For certain initial values of the design variables, classical optimization methods either fail to converge or produce designs which are local minima; the present algorithm seems to be successful in yielding the global minimum design.