Knowledge-Based Engineering–based method for containership lashing bridge optimization design and structural improvement with functionally graded thickness plates

This article presents a Knowledge-Based Engineering application method for the optimization design of containership lashing bridge. To reduce the structural vibration response of lashing bridges, a structural improvement method was proposed based on the results of optimization. The adoption of design specifications, expertise and other knowledge accumulated in design have been ignored in the development of structure design and optimization. To face the increasingly fierce competition in the marine market, the optimal solution is establishing a knowledge base containing expertise, design specification and successful design cases. In addition, the advanced techniques for design and optimization shall be incorporated with Knowledge-Based Engineering to automate new designs and optimizations. Furthermore, finite element method is employed to carry out the strength analysis. Lightweight design and vibration damping design of the lashing bridge are deemed as two critical issues having nagged designers. The Knowledge-Based Engineering–based design and optimization approach not only ensure the performance of the lashing bridge structure to be reasonable but also minimize the weight target and evidently improves the design quality and efficiency. The functionally graded thickness structure is applied to the improved scheme, which not only makes the design of the lashing bridge structure more reasonable but also reduces the vibration response of the structure.