Parametric design and optimization of steel and timber truss structures : Development of a workflow for design and optimization processes in Grasshopper 3D environment

Abstract: The demand for complex structures and the urge to perform more detailed structural analyses in an early stage of the project design phase has increased the use of parametric design in the construction sector, especially among architects and structural engineers. Also, an increasing demand for sustainable structures is creating pressure on engineers and architects to design optimized structures that consume as little resources as possible. Keeping these demands in mind, this thesis tries to uncover the benefits of parametric design and optimization by applying these processes to industrial roof truss structures.The primary objective of the thesis is to investigate the feasibility and reliability of parametric design and optimization processes in real-life designs. For this purpose, a parametric algorithm has been developed in the visual programming software Grasshopper 3D. The workflow performs structural analysis and design verification on a parametric FE-model using the FEA software for parametric engineering, Karamba 3D in combination with Python where standards for design verification were scripted. These procedures were developed to be applied on both steel and timber truss structures. The workflow then performs a constrained cross-sectional and geometrical optimization of the truss structures. For the optimization process, the plug-in Galapagos have been used which uses evolutionary and simulated annealing techniques.After analyses of different cases and on comparison of the results from the model response verification, the resulting models showed that the workflow and analysis procedure was capable of obtaining a solution that is more effective and as reliable as the traditional structural analysis procedures and thus can be used for real case. When used during preliminary design, the parametric design procedure displayed great potential in saving time, thus saving resources and cost which paves a promising path for implementations in this sector.