Sensitivity Analysis and Optimal Design of Nonlinear Beams and Plates

ABSTRACT A uniform formulation of sensitivity analysis for beams and plates is presented in terms of generalized stresses and strains. Both physical and geometric nonlinearities can be treated within this formulation. Next, optimal design problems for stress and deflection constraints are formulated and the relevant optimality conditions are derived using the concept of a linear adjoint structure. Finally, several numerical solutions of optimal design problems of beams are presented.