Material Cost Minimization Method of the Ship Structure Considering Material Selection

Numerous studies have been conducted to minimize material costs and improve efficiency, one of which involves using the genetic algorithm (GA) for material selection. Although the GA provides the best solution, it is computationally intensive. To mitigate this issue, a simple method was proposed. The stiffened plate, a primary component of ship structure, was chosen as the optimization model for this study, with the objective of minimizing material costs using the proposed simple method. Two design variables, plate thickness (t) and plate material type (m), were selected with specific constraints. The simple method was used to determine the appropriate plate material types to reduce material costs. Additionally, size optimization was conducted using stress equations to produce the optimal thickness. The results showed that this method significantly reduced the computational time and material cost of the ship structure.