Topology design for multiple loading conditions of continuum structures using isolines and isosurfaces

Isolines topology design (ITD) is an iterative algorithm for the topological design to two-dimensional continuum structures using isolines. This paper presents an extension to this algorithm for topology design under multiple load cases of two/three-dimensional continuum structures. The topology and the shape of the design depend on an iterative algorithm, which continually adds and removes material depending on the shape and distribution of the contour isolines/isosurfaces of the required structural behaviour. In this study the von Mises stress was investigated. Several examples are presented to show the effectiveness of the algorithm, which provides very detailed contours without the need to interpret the topology in order to obtain a final design. The ITD algorithm demonstrates how the use the multiple loading conditions can produces more stable and realistic designs with a little additional complexity. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All right reserved.