AbstractThis article deals with the design optimization of truss structures with discrete design variables, which remains quite a challenging task in structural design. A new discrete search strategy based on the recently developed subset simulation optimization algorithm is proposed in detail for this type of structural optimization. The discrete design variables are transformed into standard normal variable space to implement the sampling procedure in subset simulation optimization, while the optimization is processed in the discrete design space in the mean time. The performance of the proposed method is illustrated by four representative benchmark optimization problems. Comparisons are made with other well known stochastic optimization algorithms. It is found that the proposed method can produce optimum designs as good as or better than those of other stochastic optimization algorithms.