An BESO Approach for Optimal Retrofit Design of Steel Rectangular-Hollow-Section Columns Supporting Crane Loads

In this paper, we propose a cost-effective optimal-topology retrofitting technique for hollow-steel-section columns to sufficiently support industrial running cranes. A so-called bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method was encoded within the MATLAB modeling framework, with direct interface an ANSYS commercial finite-element analysis program, determine optimal topology of double external steel plates connected in 3D space. For initial ground structure, have adopted standard uniform U-shaped stiffener located at top and bottom flange layers I-beam box-column connection (IBBC) area. The influences inelastic materials incorporated nonlinear geometry can effectively describe premature (local buckling) failures IBBC applications proposed BESO-based stiffening are illustrated through three columns, characterized by non-slender slender compression sections. Some concluding remarks provided on pre- post-retrofitted responses results showing both accuracy robustness schemes.