Abstract—Optimization is a systematic effort made to improve cost-effectiveness and obtain the best results under given circumstances. Cost optimization can be defined as the achievement of reduction in the unit cost of services provided without damaging their suitability. Nowadays, research on cost optimization on structural engineering is a developing area. Some convenient optimization methods can be effective for engineers to find the most cost-effective solutions for sizing of structural members. Furthermore, designing and producing of truss systems which are increasingly popular are quite appropriate with optimization. This paper discusses using non-linear programming to optimize cost of plane truss. The aim of the study is to obtain the minimum cost based on the optimal configurations which determined by mathematical modelling. The decision variables of the mathematical model are considered cross-sections of the truss system elements which are constrained in regard to structural and design issues. Also, the cost expression as an objective function is defined using cost data. For this purpose, firstly, the proposed method is introduced in details. Then a numerical example is developed and analysed according to problem data and the frame of the non-linear programming principles. The results are evaluated and the effectiveness of the proposed optimization method is mentioned.
Index Terms—Cost optimization, non-linear programming, optimization methods, truss systems.
Gülçağ Albayrak and Uğur Albayrak are with Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Civil Engineering Dept., Eskisehir, Turkey (e-mail: galbayrak@ogu.edu.tr, albayrak@ogu.edu.tr).
[PDF]
Cite: Gülçağ Albayrak and Uğur Albayrak, "Approach of Non-linear Programming for Cost Optimization of Plane Truss System," International Journal of Engineering and Technology vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 167-170, 2018.
