Date of Award

Summer 1989

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Program/Concentration

Engineering Mechanics

Committee Director

Jean W. Hou

Committee Member

Chuh Mei

Committee Member

Stephen Cupschalk

Call Number for Print

Special Collections; LD4331.E57M44

Abstract

The method of structural topological variations is a newly developed technique for analysis of frame structures. It provides a novel method that completely avoids formulating and solving simultaneous equations, required in the finite element displacement method. The principal objective of this thesis is to investigate the method of topological variations as a possible design tool and study its applicability in the sensitivity analysis and in the process of design optimization.

A computer code was developed for this method to obtain its comparative performance against the finite element displacement method. For analysis of large structures involving frequent local modifications, the method of structural topological variations holds good promise. Its implementation was successfully shown for sensitivity analysis as well as in design optimization through the use of examples.

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DOI

10.25777/e2c4-k262

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