Optimum Design of Truss Structures Based on Differential Evolution Strategy

A novel optimization method based on a Differential Evolution (DE) strategy for designing low-weight truss structures is presented for both continuous and discrete variables. Applications of this technique on the optimization of a benchmark-type truss structure with continuous and discrete variables are given to evaluate its effectiveness. Results are compared with various classical and evolutionary optimization methods which show that the proposed procedure based on DE outperforms other methods and can effectively be applied to the optimization problems of truss structures with both continuous and discrete design variables.