RELIABILITY-BASED STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION USING INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS

Virtually all reliability-based structural optimizations are performed in a batch computer environment. In doing so, no intermediary information during the optimization process is provided and the designer has no input during this process. This paper focuses on the use of interactive graphics in reliability-based optimization of structural systems. Through the use of interactive graphics a mechanism for allowing the designer to have full control on the optimum design process is provided. A computer program for reliability-based structural optimization involving user-machine interactions based on displayed information is described. Two numerical examples in which structural weight and system reliability histories are interactively monitored illustrate the advantages of the proposed approach. © 1990.