Solving structural optimization problems with genetic algorithms and simulated annealing

Published in Int. Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering Vol. 45 (8), pp. 1069-1084, 1999
doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0207(19990720)45:8<1069::AID-NME620>3.0.CO;2-E

Abstract

In this paper we study the performance of two stochastic search methods: Genetic Algorithms and Simulated Annealing, applied to the optimization of pin‐jointed steel bar structures. We show that it is possible to embed these two schemes into a single parametric family of algorithms, and that optimal performance (in a parallel machine) is obtained by a hybrid scheme. Examples of applications to the optimization of several real steel bar structures are presented.