The application of weld-based additive manufacturing steel to structural engineering

The present work aims at providing the first considerations upon the application of innovative manufacturing technology for civil engineering purposes. In particular, among the 3D printing processes currently available, Weld-Based Additive Manufacturing (WAM) results to be the most suitable technique for the realization of innovative structural forms in metal material. The great potential of taking the printing head “out of the box” allows for the construction of innovative shapes by adding layer upon layer of welded steel. In particular, the study is focused on the realization of the first 3D-printed steel footbridge by a Dutch company held in Amsterdam, called MX3D, and its Additive manufacturing process, which results in specific constraints and limitations to be taken into account for design purposes. First, the design issues are described, by considering the printing parameters to be adopted for the realization of large-dimensions structures, and then the implications in terms of specific geometrical and mechanical characteristics are studied. These first engineering evaluations are intended to pave the way towards the development of a ground-breaking technology for the fully-automated design and construction of novel 3D-printed building structures through innovative robotic manufacturing processes whose parameters are still not fully known.