Optimal design of simply supported columns subject to distributed axial load and stress constraint |
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| Authors: | Sarp Adali Izzet U. Cagdas |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Mechanical Engineering, University of KwaZulu‐Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa;2. Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey;3. Previous address: School of Mechanical Engineering, University of KwaZulu‐Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa. |
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| Abstract: | The optimum designs are given for columns, which are simply supported and under distributed and concentrated axial loads. The objective is to maximize the buckling load subject to volume and maximum stress constraints. The area of the minimum cross‐section under a stress constraint is not known a priori as it depends on the maximum buckling load which in turn depends on the optimum shape. This minimum cross‐sectional area is computed as part of an iterative procedure. An iterative solution method is developed based on finite elements and the results are obtained for n=1, 2, 3, defined as I =αnAn with I being the moment of inertia, and A the cross‐sectional area. Numerical results show that the optimal areas become larger in the direction of the distributed load. Results are given for uniformly and triangular distributed loads, which are shown to have distinct effects on the optimal column shape. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | optimal columns design optimization distributed axial loads stress constraints |
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