Computer-Aided Design 43 (2011) 12

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Computer-Aided Design
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/cad

Book review

Unlocking and exploring the design spaceTowards meeting the green design challenge

X. Huang, Y.M. Xie. Evolutionary Topology Optimization of Continuum StructuresMethods and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., West Sussex, United Kingdom (2010). 223 pp., 75.00, ISBN: 978-0-470-74653-0

solutions. For example, the reader understands that ESO is mainly a heuristic-driven method. The deficiencies of ESO are addressed and overcome in the next few chapters that deal with BESO. First, the authors look at the hard-kill BESO method, show what the design problem statement is and how the method is implemented. The concept of sensitivity number that is the key to the BESO method is introduced. The filtering scheme to overcome checkerboard patterns, element removal and addition schemes, mesh-independent solutions, and convergence criteria are enumerated with simple examples. Other examples directly compare BESO solutions to those obtained using other topology optimization methods such as Simple Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP). Second, the soft-kill BESO method is discussed and its relationship to the SIMP method is examined in great detail. Unlike the hard-kill BESO method, the soft-kill BESO method can add and recover elements without the use of a filter scheme. Once again 2D and 3D design examples are presented that show how the method works. Since the BESO method is an evolving technique, BESO solutions are compared to other topology optimization methods such as SIMP and continuation methods. The solutions are shown to be similar and comparable. Towards the middle of the book, the authors present material that shows how practical problems can be solved. In the first part of the book, the objective function typically is taken as minimizing compliance or maximizing stiffness, and the only constraint is one on the total volume of material used. The design space is now expanded. Other objective functions and constraints are considered such as minimizing the volume of the structure, maximizing the frequency of the structure, displacement or compliance constraints, use of multiple materials, multiple load cases, etc. The last third of the book deals with advanced and practical applications. In Chapter 7, the authors look at topology optimization of nonlinear continuum structures. The use of the BESO method for the design of nonlinear structural systems involving both material and geometric nonlinearities is discussed. Comparisons with linear structural analysis solutions are presented. The optimal design of energy absorption structures using the hard-kill BESO method is discussed in Chapter 8. Finally, the authors make a case for the use of BESO methods for practical designs. Four case studies are presented on practical applications ranging from preliminary conceptual designs to constructed buildings. To entice the reader into using the BESO method for topology design, the authors spend the last chapter in the book on BESO2D.

Evolutionary Topology Optimization of Continuum Structures Methods and Applications is a reference book for practicing structural, mechanical and aerospace design engineers, researchers and the inquisitive graduate student. With an increasing emphasis being placed on efficient use of natural resources and sustainability, topology optimization should be used at the product preliminary design stage to explore various design alternatives. The authors help the reader navigate through the evolution of topology optimization, the theory behind the Evolutionary Structural Optimization (ESO) and Bi-directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization (BESO) techniques, and a multitude of examples that show where these techniques can be applied. The material covered in the book is the state-of-the-art in topology optimization and shows how to obtain efficient designs via a rich mix of theory, problem formulation alternatives, and solved examples. A simple Microsoft Windowsbased computer program is available from the authors web site that can be used to understand the theory via hands-on problem solving. The book assumes that the reader has a working knowledge of engineering design, numerical optimization and finite element analysis. The book starts with a very short but well written chapter introducing structural optimization, topology optimization and ESO and BESO. This is followed by an introductory look at evolutionary structural optimization methods. The authors introduce ESO and provide algorithms and examples that show how the method is implemented. Examples include topology optimization based on specified stress level and on maximizing the stiffness of a structure. Via these examples, the reader is able to understand the importance of problem formulation and the practicality of the resulting
0010-4485/$ see front matter doi:10.1016/j.cad.2010.09.001

Book review / Computer-Aided Design 43 (2011) 12

BESO2D is a Windows-based program that performs conventional stiffness optimization of statically loaded structures under plane stress conditions. Downloading and installation instructions are presented. Overall this is a well-written book. It provides a short but comprehensive overview of the BESO method for topology optimization and outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the method. Several academic and practical design applications are presented.

The BESO2D program provides interested readers a quick way of understanding how the method works. S.D. Rajan School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5306, USA E-mail address: s.rajan@asu.edu.