Topology optimization of continuum structures with materials exhibiting different tensile and compressive properties

The effects of the difference between the tensile and compressive properties (TCPs) of materials on the final topologies of structures are investigated with floating reference intervals in the optimization case of a bone growing process based on Wolff's law. There are two aspects in the difference on TCPs of basal materials to have equivalent effects on the structural topology optimization: one is the difference between their tensile and compressive Young's moduli, the other is the variation of the intervals of their references strains in bone growing process under the tensile or compressive state. The numerical cases verify this equivalence and further reveal a more reasonable structure topology subjected to the differences on TCPs of the materials.