Evolutionary optimization of engineering problems

Advances in Engineering Software 36 (2005) 1–2 www.elsevier.com/locate/advengsoft

Editorial

Evolutionary optimization of engineering problems This special issue entitled ‘Evolutionary Optimization of Engineering Problems’ contains a selection of papers originally presented at The Third International Conference on Engineering Computational Technology (ECT 2002) and The Sixth International Conference on Computational Structures Technology (CST 2002). These conferences were held concurrently from 4 to 6 September 2002. Both conferences were organised in conjunction with and held at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic. These conferences are part of the CST–ECT series organised by Civil-Comp Press that commenced in 1991. A special issue of papers presented at the conferences concerned with ‘Computational Structures Technology’ will be published in the International Journal of Computers and Structures. A further special issue of ‘Advances in Engineering Software’ will be published including papers presented at the conferences concerned with ‘Engineering Computational Technology’. This special issue includes papers concerned with evolutionary optimization. The first paper by Professor Montero and colleagues describes how genetic algorithms may be used to estimate the parameters for 3D wind field models. These parameters are usually based on empirical laws but in this paper genetic algorithms are used to ensure that models reflect wind velocity measurements. In the second paper, by Dr Aguilar-Madeira and colleagues, new methods for crossover and mutation operators using a special type of chromosome are described. The techniques are applied to the multi-objective topology optimization of structures. The third paper by Professor Thierauf and colleagues continues the theme of structural optimization. Their paper considers the use of the evolutionary strategy to steel structures using an adaptive penalty function. The fourth paper by, Dr Levesley and colleagues, again continues the theme of structural optimization by considering the use of evolutionary optimization of components with fatigue life constraints. In the fifth paper Dr Baran and colleagues present a number of evolutionary algorithms for the optimal pump scheduling problem. The sixth paper, by Professors Schmidt and Thierauf describes a combined heuristic technique for the optimal design of structures using the threshold accepting algorithm (similar to the simulated

annealing algorithm) and differential evolution (which is based on genetic algorithms). These papers include new applications of evolutionary computing as well as the development of algorithms. They provide a valuable addition to the literature on evolutionary computing for engineering problems. We both wish to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the conference sponsors: † Czech Technical University in Prague † International Journal of Computers and Structures (Elsevier Ltd) and † Advances in Engineering Software (Elsevier Ltd) Finally, we should like to thank the members of the ECT 2002 Conference Editorial Board for their help before, during and after the conference: Professor M.H. Aliabadi, UK; Professor C.J. Anumba, UK; Professor Z.P. Bazant, USA; Professor A.I. Beltzer, Israel; Professor A.C. Benim, Germany; Professor M.H. Bercovier, Israel; Dr G. Bugeda, Spain; Professor J.S. Campbell, Ireland; Professor B. Codenotti, Italy; Dr V. Couaillier, France; Professor L. Damkilde, Denmark; Professor G. Degrande, Belgium; Dr S.C.R. Dennis, Canada; Dr C. Di Napoli, Italy; Professor I.S. Duff, UK; Professor U. Gabbert, Germany; Professor G. Gambolati, Italy; Professor B. Gustafsson, Sweden; Dr W.G. Habashi, Canada; Professor S. Idelsohn, Argentina; Dr H. Imam, Saudi Arabia; Professor A.R. Ingraffea, USA; Professor K. Ishii, Japan; Dr M. Isreb, Australia; Professor Y. Jaluria, USA; Dr P. Jimack, UK; Professor P. Leger, Canada; Professor E. Leonardi, Australia; Professor J.Y.R. Liew, Singapore; Mr J. Mackerle, Sweden; Dr R.I. Mackie, UK; Professor M. Malafaya-Baptista, Portugal; Dr V.K. Mathur, India; Professor K. Matsuno, Japan; Professor A. Meyer, Germany; Dr J.C. Miles, UK; Professor G. Molnarka, Hungary; Professor C.M. Mota Soares, Portugal; Professor K. Morgan, UK; Professor D.T. Nguyen, USA; Professor A.K. Noor, USA; Professor K. Onishi, Japan; Professor K. Orsborn, Sweden; Professor P.C. Pandey, India; Professor A. Portela, Portugal; Professor A. Preumont, Belgium; Professor Z. Ren, Slovenia; Professor O.-H. Rho, Korea; Professor L.M. Ribeiro, Portugal;

0965-9978/$ - see front matter q 2004 Published by Civil-Comp Ltd and Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.advengsoft.2004.09.002

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Editorial / Advances in Engineering Software 36 (2005) 1–2

Dr D. Robinson, UK; Professor K.G. Roesner, Germany; Professor D. Roose, Belgium; Professor W. Shyy, USA; Dr J. Sienz, UK; Professor V. Sonzogni, Argentina; Professor G. Stavroulakis, Greece; Professor S.-H. Suh, Korea; Dr T. Taylor, USA; Professor H.R. Thomas, UK; Professor A. Tomiyama, Japan; Dr A. Usmani, UK; Dr C. Walshaw, UK; Professor N.P. Weatherill, UK; and Professor M. Wolfshtein, Israel. Finally, we should like to thank the members of the Conference Editorial Board for their help before, during and after the conference: Professor H. Adeli, USA; Professor S. Ahmad, Bangladesh; Professor E. Alarcon, Spain; Professor F. Armero, USA; Dr H. Askes, Netherlands; Dr J.R. Banerjee, UK; Professor C. Baniotopoulos, Greece; Professor H.J.C. Barbosa, Brazil; Professor R.C. Barros, Portugal; Professor K.J. Bathe, USA; Professor J.-L. Batoz, France; Professor J. Baugh, USA; Professor A.A. Becker, UK; Professor T. Belytschko, USA; Professor Z. Bittnar, Czech Republic; Dr J. Blachut, UK; Professor P. Boisse, France; Professor M. Bonnet, France; Professor R.I. Borja, USA; Dr P. Bouillard, Belgium; Professor M.A. Bradford, Australia; Professor D. Briassoulis, Greece; Professor M.L. Bucalem, Brazil; Dr J.W. Bull, UK; Professor J.S. Campbell, Ireland; Dr D. Chapelle, France; Professor W.F. Chen, USA; Professor G. Chiandussi, Italy; Professor C. Cinquini, Italy; Professor J.Y. Cognard, France; Professor R. de Borst, Netherlands; Professor G. De Roeck, Belgium; Professor I. Doltsinis, Germany; Professor L. Dunai, Hungary; Professor F. Erbatur, Turkey; Professor A. Eriksson, Sweden; Professor C. Felippa, USA; Professor D. Frangopol, USA; Professor J.-C. Gelin, France; Dr U.A. Girhammar, Sweden; Professor R.V. Grandhi, USA; Professor D. Grierson, Canada; Professor P. Hajela, USA; Professor P. Hamelin, France; Professor H.-J. Hardtke, Germany; Professor J. Herskovits, Brazil; Professor H. Hikosaka, Japan; Dr M. Hoit, USA; Professor A. Ibrahimbegovic, France; Professor D.L. Karabalis, Greece; Professor A. Kaveh, Iran; Professor U. Kirsch, Israel; Professor M. Kleiber, Poland; Professor V. Koumousis, Greece; Professor B. Kroeplin, Germany; Dr Y.W. Kwon, USA; Professor P. Ladeveze, France; Professor K.L. Lawrence, USA; Professor R. Levy, Israel; Professor R. Lewandowski, Poland; Professor A. Liolios,

Greece; Dr P.B. Lourenco, Portugal; Professor H.A. Mang, Austria; Professor V.K. Mathur, India; Professor I. May, UK; Dr E.S. Mistakidis, Greece; Professor C.A. Mota Soares, Portugal; Professor C.M. Mota Soares, Portugal; Professor G. Muscolino, Italy; Professor R. Ohayon, France; Professor E. Onate, Spain; Professor E. Papa, Italy; Professor M. Papadrakakis, Greece; Professor P.Y. Papalambros, USA; Professor K.C. Park, USA; Professor M.N. Pavlovic, UK; Professor P. Pedersen, Denmark; Professor C.P. Providakis, Greece; Dr E. Providas, Greece; Professor J.P. Petrolito, Australia; Dr E. Providas, Greece; Professor C.V. Ramakrishnan, India; Professor E. Ramm, Germany; Professor F.G. Rammerstorfer, Austria; Professor B.D. Reddy, South Africa; Professor E. Salajegheh, Iran; Professor A. Samartin, Spain; Professor E. Schnack, Germany; Professor B.A. Schrefler, Italy; Professor G. Schueller, Austria; Professor K. Schweizerhof, Germany; Dr M.H.B.M. Shariff, UK; Professor G.J. Simitses, USA; Professor L. Simoni, Italy; Dr A.V. Singh, Canada; Professor S. Sloan, Australia; Professor E.D. Sotelino, USA; Professor Y. Sugiyama, Japan; Professor B. Sunden, Sweden; Professor K.S. Surana, USA; Professor K.Y. Sze, Hong Kong; Professor I. Takahashi, Japan; Professor I. Takewaki, Japan; Professor T. Tarnai, Hungary; Professor G. Thierauf, Germany; Professor V.V. Toropov, UK; Professor M. Touratier, France; Professor P. Trompette, France; Dr G.J. Turvey, UK; Professor F. Venancio-Filho, Brazil; Professor X. Wang, USA; Professor G. Yagawa, Japan; Dr T. Zimmermann, Switzerland; and Professor A. Zingoni, South Africa. These Conferences could not have been organised without the contribution of many who helped in their planning, organisation and execution. We are particularly grateful to Jelle Muylle and Jaroslav Kruis for their help before and during the conferences. We are also grateful to the following staff and students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University: Alexandra Kurfu¨rstova´, secretary of the Department of Structural Mechanics and PhD students Jitka Podebradska´, Richard Vondra´cek and Matej Leps. Zdenek Bittnar, Barry H.V. Topping