Optimisation-driven conceptual design : case study of a large transfer truss

This article describes the use of structural optimisation at the conceptual design stage to identify materially efficient solutions that incorporate buildability considerations. In the proposed approach, a minimum-weight solution is first identified, providing a benchmark against which other designs can be judged. However, as this solution will often be complex in form (and effectively impossible to construct in practice), additional constraints are then gradually introduced to rationalise it, and to explore the regions of the solution space which separate it from simpler, more familiar solutions. This enables the designer to balance material efficiency and complexity in a more informed manner. The efficacy of the approach is demonstrated via application to a case study of a transfer truss design.