A New Generation of Lattice Structural Elements Produced with Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing

This paper presents a novel approach for developing lightweight structural steel elements by integrating algorithm-aided design with Wire-and-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). A computational design protocol was established, combining WAAM-specific constraints, Eurocode-based structural requirements, and topology optimization to generate efficient lattice geometries. Diamond-shaped lattice prototypes were fabricated using a dot-by-dot WAAM strategy and tested under compression. The study highlights how physical deviations, particularly the formation of line-nodes at bar intersections, significantly reduce the compression capacity compared to ideal point-node geometries. Finite element simulations of both ideal and printed geometries were conducted, with results closely matching experimental observations. This research demonstrates the potential of WAAM and computational design in producing sustainable, high-performance steel structures for architectural and engineering applications.