Special kind of multimaterial topology optimization

Topology optimization provides an answer to the question how to distribute the available material in a design domain. The optimization process (usually aided by postprocessing) results in a material-void distribution, also called (in terms of relative density) a 0/1 distribution, which is graphically represented as a black-and-white distribution. Assuming that the optimum solution is such for which the energy accumulated in the construction is minimum, an optimum construction topology was arrived at. In this solution the material is in the same areas in which it would be for a 0/1 solution, however the relative density in the design domain is not only equal to zero or one, but also assumes values between zero and one (the values are closer to one than to zero). In this way a construction whose material properties vary from point to point in a way directly dependent on the effort of the material, i.e. adequately to the needs arising from the necessity of carrying the load by the construction, was obtained. Thus through the use of a proper optimization approach and the proposed algorithm a construction built from a material with graded mechanical properties was obtained.