Point-by-point wire and arc additively manufactured (WAAM) steel connections

The fast developing field of digital fabrication opens novel manufacturing possibilities for the building sector, definitely worth to be explored. At ETH Zurich, the Gramazio Kohler Research Group is investigating adaptive detailing for robotic assembly of spatial metal structures. They focus on point-by-point wire and arc additively manufactured (WAAM) connections between random oriented hollow-section steel profiles. More details on this research project can be found here. Such connections could allow for novel force-flow optimized joints in future lightweight free-form building envelopes.

In a collaboration with the Gramazio Kohler Research Group (Institute of Technology in Architecture) and the Durability of Engineering Materials Group (Institute for Building Materials), we are performing experimental tests on point-by-point wire and arc additively manufactured (WAAM) columns, as parts of the above mentioned novel connections, in order to determine their mechanical properties. Furthermore, we focus on assessing the geometrical quality of such WAAM-columns by 3D-scanning and on developing a suitable workflow for investigating the columns in finite element simulations.