Finite element based structural optimization using object-oriented parallel programming

This contribution presents an MPI-based parallel computational framework for simulation and gradient-based structural optimization of geometrically nonlinear and large-scale structural finite element models. The field of computational structural analysis is gaining more and more importance in product design. In order to obtain an impression about possible approaches of design improvement already in an early planning phase, an efficient optimization tool is desired that requires only few modelling effort. This demand can be satisfied by a combined analysis and optimization tool working on the same model. To this purpose the finite element based optimization method is an excellent approach, leading to the highest possible diversity within the optimization process.