An Imitative Full Stress Genetic Algorithm for Structural Optimization with Discrete Variables

On the basis of full stress design, an imitative full stress design method was presented for structural optimum design with discrete variables .The structural optimum design with discrete variables under stress and section size constraints could be directly calculated by this method. Through defining an imitative full stress design operator in the genetic algorithm, a hybrid genetic algorithm for structural optimization with discrete variables, combined the advances of both genetic algorithm and the imitative full stress design method, is presented in this paper. The numerical results show that the method is superior to the genetic algorithm and the imitative full stress design method.