Abstract
<jats:p>Objective: to evaluate the potential for reducing the tare weight of a solid-bottom gondola car by lightening the floor-supporting welded beams through the application of the topology optimization method. Methods: a concise review of established parametric optimization approaches is presented. Topology optimization of the floor-supporting welded beam design was performed using the Evolutionary Structural Optimization (ESO) method. With an applied compressive force of 2.5 MN, the strength of the optimized supporting beam configuration was verified under the design load combined designated as mode 1b in GOST 33211. Results: implementing topology optimization on the welded beams of freight car frames, while constraining permissible sheet thickness variations, enables targeted modification of the beam cross-section. After technological refinement of the optimization outcomes, a beam design with less mass has been produced. Comparing the example to the original design, the mass has been lowered by a factor of 2.4 or 58%. Practical significance: this research demonstrates the applicability of topology optimization techniques to engineering design issues for metal freight vehicle structures. A supporting beam configuration that reduces mass while preserving the strength properties of the beam has been proposed. It consists of vertical sheets with trapezoidal cutouts and a lower sheet of variable width.</jats:p>