Optimization of viscoelastic systems combining robust condensation and metamodeling

The effective design of viscoelastic dampers as applied to real-world complex engineering structures can be conveniently carried out by using modern multiobjective numerical optimization techniques. The large number of evaluations of the cost functions normally combined with the typically high dimensions of finite element models of industrial structures makes multiobjective optimization very costly, sometimes unfeasible. Those difficulties motivate the study reported in this paper, in which a strategy is proposed consisting in the use of evolutionary algorithms specially adapted to multiobjective optimization of viscoelastic systems, combined with robust condensation and metamodeling. After the discussion of various theoretical aspects, a numerical application is presented to illustrate the use and demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodology proposed for the optimal design of viscoelastic constrained layers.