Optimum Design Of Deployable Structures Using Genetic Algorithms

Abstract

The prefabricated deployable space frames investigated in this work are smart structures in the sense that they have the ability to adapt to changing needs by using the, usually destructive, snap-through phenomenon as a form of prestressing. Their design is very challenging due to the need to balance the conflicting requirements of desired flexibility during deployment and desired stiffness under service loads. This paper describes a first effort to escape from a heuristically driven, manual design by employing optimization via a genetic algorithm.