Robust topology optimization with non-Gaussian material fields using polygonal finite elements

Abstract

Abstract We present a computational framework for robust topology optimization that integrates polygonal finite-element discretizations, spatially correlated non-Gaussian material modeling, and non-intrusive polynomial-chaos surrogates. Spatial uncertainty in Young’s modulus is represented as a homogeneous non-Gaussian random field obtained via a memoryless transformation of a truncated Karhunen–Loève expansion, ensuring physical admissibility through positivity of stiffness while preserving the prescribed autocovariance. Polygonal finite elements provide a stable discretization for density-based optimization on unstructured meshes and mitigate checkerboard artefacts and mesh bias, while the sparse polynomial-chaos expansion enables efficient estimation of low-order statistical moments required by the robust objective at a fraction of the cost of intrusive or Monte Carlo approaches. Numerical studies on a cantilever and a curved beam show that introducing non-Gaussian material variability leads to systematic load-path redistribution and a reallocation of 6–12% of the structural volume, together with a reduction in compliance scatter. The non-intrusive surrogate reproduces intrusive reference results within 3% using an order of magnitude fewer full finite-element analyses. These results demonstrate that the proposed framework offers a physically consistent and computationally efficient route to topology-optimized designs that remain reliable under realistic material uncertainty.