Title: Optimisation of safety factor in the designing phase of a bracing study

Authors: Eleftherios-Stamatios N. Telis, George J. Besseris, Constantinos Stergiou

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technological and Educational Institute of Piraeus, P. Ralli & Thivon Avenue 250, Egaleo 12224, Athens, Greece; Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, London, UK. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technological and Educational Institute of Piraeus, P. Ralli & Thivon Avenue 250, Egaleo 12224, Athens, Greece; Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, London, UK. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technological and Educational Institute of Piraeus, P. Ralli & Thivon Avenue 250, Egaleo 12224, Athens, Greece; Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, London, UK

Abstract: Quality tools assist engineering applications in fields never used before. The aim of this paper is to present a novel method for optimising the safety factor of a bracing project in the designing phase. In the presented methodology, the Taguchi analysis will be the quality method used. It produces the experimental runs by combining design variables that give the design characteristics (safety factor) measurements. The results of these experiments are calculated via finite elements analysis and the optimisation is also supported by ANOVA treatment. The blueprints used in this project are taken from a real-life case study. This method can be used as a useful guide tool for engineers in order to predict any design characteristic as long as the design variables which determine its value can de named and take discrete values (two/three or more each).

Keywords: optimisation; structural design; bracing projects; safety factors; Taguchi methods; ANOVA; quality engineering; finite element analysis; FEA; design characteristics; design variables; construction industry; civil engineering.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEDPO.2011.038049

International Journal of Experimental Design and Process Optimisation, 2011 Vol.2 No.1, pp.19 - 33

Published online: 11 Oct 2014 *

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