In this paper, the topological optimization of three-dimensional structures based on optimality criteria and artificial material model is briefly reviewed and prevention of undesirable structural elements is discussed. Prevention of formation of checkerboard patterns and the finite element mesh dependency, which are the two well-known instabilities in the process of structural topology optimization, is also considered. The idea of employing the noise cleaning techniques borrowed from image processing techniques, suggested by Sigmund for plane problems [1], is here extended to three-dimensional structures. To demonstrate the efficiency and practicality of the method, especially, when employed together with the continuation method [2] and nonconforming finite elements, some illustrative examples are presented.

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