Computer aided optimum design of structures V

This book contains the papers presented at the 5th international conference on Computer Aided Optimum Design of Structure, OPTI 97 held in September, 1997 in Rome (Italy). The works included here show the maturity reached in the field of structural optimization providing abundant practical engineering applications. The applications correspond to complex structures with a great number of elements, therefore the numerical optimization can be used to tackle practical professional problems. The optimum design deals with not only conventional materials such as steel and concrete, but also compound materials, which are of our great interest.