Structural optimization applied to soil-structure interaction problems

The application of structural optimization approach to soil-structure interaction problems is presented in this paper. The objective function of the optimization problem is the cost of the raft-pile foundation, which is a function of raft thickness, length, spacing and number of piles. The constraints are the maximum displacement and the maximum shear stress in the raft. Sensitivity analysis and constraint approximation are carried out during the structural optimization process. The finite element method has been used to analyse the response of the raft-pile foundation system. The numerical result shows that the raft-pile foundation system can be designed efficiently and effectively using the structural optimization approach.