Optimum design of prestressed beams

Abstract A method is developed for the optimum design of prestressed indeterminate beams with uniform cross section. Optimum values of prestressing force, tendon configuration and cross sectional dimensions are determined subject to constraints on design variables and stresses. A transformation of variables is employed to reduce the optimization to a solution of a linear programming problem. The method is suitable for practical design of structures with no restriction on the number and types of loading conditions, tendon configuration or number of prestressing stages. Applications of the proposed method are illustrated by examples.