Structural Design Optimization Based on the Moving Baseline Strategy

Structural design optimization has always been a topic of concern in industry because good design can improve the safety and economic efficiency of structures during their service periods. Selecting the appropriate optimization algorithm is the key to solving structural optimal design problems. In this study, a new global optimization idea is proposed and named the moving baseline strategy. A baseline is initially set and will be repeatedly moving upward or downward to approach the optimal value. The proposed strategy is a simple but effective, general, and stable algorithm that can be used to solve constrained and unconstrained structural optimization problems. Different from traditional gradient-based, stochastic and heuristic algorithms, the developed algorithm provides a completely new idea to solve global or local optimization problems. Some unconstrained and constrained numerical benchmark examples are used to test the proposed methodology. In addition, structural optimal design problems of a ten-bar planar truss structure and a hypersonic wing structure (X-37B) are utilized to verify the effectiveness of the developed strategy in addressing structural design optimization problems in engineering.