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Optimal design of lightweight modular structures

This PhD thesis addresses the development of novel computational methods for designing modular structures i.e. structures composed of the assembly of identical components called modules. Current methodologies tackle this challenge by implementing topology optimization of the module but their efficiency is limited by the performance deterioration when numerous modules are used in the structure. In this work, the design of lightweight modular structures is addressed by simultaneously optimizing the topology of the modules and their respective position in the structure. This contribution also includes a novel strategy that reconciles lightness, structural performance, and constructability (i.e. fabrication and erection phases) by incorporating module rotations as additional design variables. To ensure the practical applicability of the proposed approach, stability is included to provide meaningful solutions that are globally stable and resist local buckling. For this purpose, global stability constraints using linear prebuckling are adopted, while local stability is formulated based on Euler buckling and properties of standard profiles obtained from commercial catalogues. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur et technologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ulb.ac.be/oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/283383
Date03 July 2018
CreatorsTugilimana, Alexis
ContributorsMassart, Thierry,Jacques, Bouillard, Philippe, Francois, Bertrand, Thrall, Ashley, Schevenels, Mattias, Breitkopf, Piotr, Filomeno Coelho, Rajan
PublisherUniversite Libre de Bruxelles, Université libre de Bruxelles, Ecole polytechnique de Bruxelles – Constructions, Bruxelles
Source SetsUniversité libre de Bruxelles
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:ulb-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:ulb-repo/semantics/openurl/vlink-dissertation
Format3 full-text file(s): application/pdf | application/pdf | application/pdf
Rights3 full-text file(s): info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess | info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess

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