EVOLVING OPTIMIZED BRACED STEEL FRAMEWORKS FOR TALL BUILDINGS USING MODIFIED PATTERN SEARCH

Direct search methods offer potential for rapid exploration of a design space, enabling novel and optimized designs to be generated. We present the use of modified pattern search for optimizing the topological design of the bracing system for a free -form building of approximately 250m in height, carried out as part of a live building project, with the goal of generating alternative randomized patterns that meet structural performance. The methods developed successfully evolved efficient bracing configurations, in a procedure involving successive bracing element removal, with substantially less computational effor t than a basic automation method. The diversity of solutions introduced by adding a stochastic element to the search procedure and stochastic variation of the initial design proved beneficial for the structural design team. The project successfully applies an established search method, tailored for this scenario, to a complex, large -scale design task and provides a valuable case -study in applying structural topology optimization on live building projects.