Demonstrating the high level of maturity reached in design optimisation methodologies, this book contains most of the papers presented at the seventh international conference on Computer Aided Optimum Design of Structures.

This book contains the edited version of lectures and selected papers presented at the NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTE ON COMPUTER AIDED OPTIMAL DESIGN: Structural and Mechanical Systems, held in Tr6ia, Portugal, 29th June to 11th July 1986, and organized by CEMUL -Center of Mechanics and Materials of the Technical University of Lisbon. The Institute was attended by 120 participants from 21 countries, including leading scientists and engineers from universities, research institutions and industry, and Ph.D. students. Some participants presented invited and contributed papers during the Institute and almost all participated actively in discussions on scientific aspects during the Institute. The Advanced Study Institute provided a forum for interaction among eminent scientists and engineers from different schools of thought and young reseachers. The Institute addressed the foundations and current state of the art of essential techniques related to computer aided optimal design of structural and mechanical systems, namely: Vari ational and Finite Element Methods in Optimal Design, Numerical Optimization Techniques, Design Sensitivity Analysis, Shape Optimal Design, Adaptive Finite Element Methods in Shape Optimization, CAD Technology, Software Development Techniques, Integrated Computer Aided Design and Knowledge Based Systems. Special topics of growing importance were also pre sented.

Particular emphasis is placed on computational methods to model, control and manage new structural solutions and material types. This integration of their design together with optimisation technologies is prevalent in all aspects of industry and research. This book contains the most significant papers presented in OPTI 2009. Following the spirit of previous editions some of them deal with the algorithmic part of this scientific discipline while other authors describe innovative design optimisation formulations in several engineering fields or practical applications in industrial problems. Research topics included: New and enhanced algorithms; Shape optimisation; Design optimisation in materials, construction and bridge engineering; Design optimization in aircraft engineering; Optimisation in dam and soil engineering.

Demonstrating the high level of maturity reached in design optimisation methodologies, this book contains most of the papers presented at the 8th International Conference on Computer Aided Optimum Design of Structure. State of the art advances in research together with a broad variety of practical applications in engineering practice are covered.

In this text researchers from research centres and industry present current advances in structural optimization. The 35 papers include the following topics: shape and topology; optimization; optimal control; advances in numerical optimization; and emergent applications of design optimization.

Optimal design with advanced materials is becoming a very progressive and challenging domain within applied mechanics. The increasing use of advanced materials, such as anisotropic fiber composites and ceramics, is instigating new developments to be made within constitutive modelling and the computational methods of analysis, sensitivity analysis and optimization. A new dimension of optimal design is being realised by the direct tailoring and building of new materials. Research in this area is accelerating rapidly with the results already being applied to high technology industries. Two vital high technology research areas covered in this volume include homogenization and smart materials/structures. The 31 papers will prove an indispensable reference source for all those involved in the interdisciplinary research and development aspects of mechanics, materials and mathematics in the design of advanced materials.