Structural Lay-Out Optimization of Steel Structures

在大型结构设计过程的初始阶段，需要做出一些关键的概念决策，这些决策对材料使用、碳足迹和施工时间有显著影响。对于较小的“典型”结构，可以使用经验和经验法则来获得有效的解决方案。然而，对于较大的非典型结构或建筑独特的结构（例如体育场，摩天大楼等的大屋顶跨度），哪种结构布局将产生最佳解决方案，同时满足强度，稳定性，适用性和抗不成比例倒塌的约束，这一点并不明显。相反，创新的结构布局解决方案往往有助于创造建筑上的标志性结构（例如带有外骨骼的摩天大楼）。该项目旨在探索先进的优化技术，以获得钢框架结构配置，针对多目标目标进行优化。考虑到通常非常大的搜索空间，再加上个体详细结构分析的耗时特征，人工智能算法很可能能够显著地促进和加速解决过程，这一选择将被探索。作为一个实际成果，该项目旨在为实现所开发算法的面向设计师的工具提供一条途径。

In the initial stages of the design process of large structures a number of key conceptual decisions need to be made,which have a prominent influence on the material use, carbon footprint and construction time. For smaller, 'typical'structures, experience and rules of thumb can be used to arrive at an efficient solution. However, for larger atypical orarchitecturally unique structures (e.g. large roof spans in stadiums, skyscrapers, etc.), it is not at all obvious whichstructural lay-out will result in an optimum solution, while at the same time satisfying the constraints of strength, stability,serviceability and resistance against disproportionate collapse. Conversely, innovative structural lay-out solutions oftencontribute to creating architecturally iconic structures (e.g. skyscrapers with an exoskeleton). The project aims to exploreadvanced optimization techniques to obtain steel-framed structural configurations, optimized against a multi-objectivetarget. Given the typically very large search space, combined with the time-consuming character of individual detailedstructural analyses, it is likely that Artificial Intelligence algorithms will be able to significantly facilitate and speed up thesolution process, and this option will be explored. As a practical outcome, the project aims to provide a pathway towardsa designer-oriented tool which implements the developed algorithms.