OPTIMUM DESIGN OF SINGLE LAYER NETWORK DOMES USING HARMONY SEARCH METHOD

Domes supply unimpeded wide spaces and they encompass a maximum amount of areas with a minimum surface. They are also exceptionally suitable structures for covering places where minimum interference from internal supports are required. The behavior of latticed domes is nonlinear due to change of geometry under external loads. This is due to the imperfections arising either from the manufacturing process and/or from the construction of the structure. In this paper, the optimum topological design problem of geometrically nonlinear single layer network dome is considered. The design problem is formulated such that the total number of rings, the height of the crown, and the steel pipe section designations required for the member groups in the dome are treated as design variables. The design limitations that consist of serviceability and strength constraints are implemented from LRFD-AISC. The solution of this discrete programming problem is determined by using the harmony search algorithm. This algorithm simulates jazz improvisation into a numerical optimization technique. Design example considered shows the effectiveness and robustness of the algorithm developed.