Metamodel-assisted design optimization in the field of structural engineering: A literature review

• Published in: Structures (Oxford) Vol. 52; pp. 609 - 631
• Main Authors: Negrin, Iván, Kripka, Moacir, Yepes, Víctor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Metamodel-assisted optimization; State-of-the-art; Structural design optimization; Structural engineering; Surrogate-based optimization; Surrogate-based optimization; Structural design optimization; Structural engineering; Metamodel-assisted optimization; State-of-the-art
• ISSN: 2352-0124; 2352-0124
• DOI: 10.1016/j.istruc.2023.04.006

Metamodel-assisted optimization is a valuable alternative to handle structural design optimization procedures, which are usually quite expensive and sometimes even prohibitive. This paper presents an up-to-date literature review on metamodel-assisted structural design optimization (MASDO) in the structural engineering field. The period analyzed is from 2000 to the present, involving 111 publications and 169 case studies. In order to provide practical recommendations on best practices to perform MASDO, eight categorical variables are analyzed, and underlying relationships between them are detected by applying simple and multiple correspondence analysis. Surprisingly, there are fewer published papers on the subject than expected. Most focus on improving or developing metamodeling strategies using simple (benchmark) case studies to validate the proposed methodologies. Consequently, the originality and value of this study lie in the conclusions obtained from the statistical analysis, which serve as a practical guide for incorporating metamodeling strategies in future projects related to structural design optimization.