Beam layout design in shear wall structures using a diffusion model guided by rule-based masks

Abstract

Serving as critical load supports and transfer components in shear wall structures, beams require layout designs that balance mechanical rationality with architectural functionality constraints. Conventional design methods, which rely on engineers' expertise, are challenging to systematize and are inherently inefficient. Moreover, existing intelligent design algorithms have attempted to integrate constraints related to architectural space and mechanical topology while delivering sufficiently detailed outputs, ultimately resulting in suboptimal outcomes. To address these challenges, this study synthesizes engineering experience rules pertaining to spatial functionality and load-bearing constraints and encodes them into a mask that delineates potential beam placement locations on a building plan. Subsequently, a diffusion model, well-known for its ability to generate intricate design details, is employed to produce the corresponding beam layout from the image mask. This approach, designated as the mask-constrained diffusion model for beam layout design in shear wall structures, introduces a key innovation: mitigating the uncontrolled generative range typically associated with diffusion models during beam layout configuration. By embedding engineering knowledge into a mask that constrains the diffusion process, the generation boundaries are effectively regulated, ensuring controllable and effective design outcomes. Analysis indicates that the designs produced by the mask-constrained diffusion model surpass the quality of existing intelligent design methods, achieving a relative 35.0% improvement in consistency with engineer-generated designs while concurrently satisfying critical mechanical performance criteria. This study provides a novel perspective on the intelligent design of beam layouts and serves as a valuable reference for the application of diffusion models in the structural design of buildings.