Topology optimisation of truss structures under non-stationary random seismic excitations with displacement and stress constraints

This paper studies topology optimisation problems of truss structures under non-stationary random seismic excitations considering displacement and stress constraints. The optimisation model of truss structures is formulated by taking volume minimisation with constraints on variances of displacements and stresses. The explicit time domain method (ETDM) is applied to analyse the stochastic responses of the structure and the sensitivities with respect to the design variables. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the nodal positions and the cross-sectional areas of the bar elements of the truss structures are optimised simultaneously by using the globally convergent method of moving asymptotes (GCMMA). Meanwhile, a scheme is proposed to delete zero bars and redundant nodes during the optimisation process. Finally, several topology optimisation examples of 2-D and 3-D truss structures illustrate the accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed method.