The Optimal Design of Symmetric Laminated Beams Considering Damping

The task of designing symmetric laminated beams with optimal stiffness and damping is considered by incorporating the damping model of Adams, et al. into an optimization algorithm. The design variables are the fiber orientation in each ply, the stacking se quence, and also the thickness of each ply in the laminate. A recursive quadratic program ming algorithm is employed for the optimization process and numerical results are presented for several test problems including the constraint condition of invariable flexural rigidity.