Optimisation and testing of an additively manufactured steel bridge

<p>Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), a novel technology enabling the manufacturing of large- scale metallic components, shows particular suitability for the construction sector. To explore the potential of the current technology, a pedestrian steel bridge with a span of 4 m, optimised using topology and sizing optimisation, was manufactured using WAAM, making it the world's first topologically optimised additively manufactured steel bridge. A non-destructive test of the bridge was carried out under ULS load levels. The performance of the bridge during the tests was monitored using digital image correlation (DIC) as well as using analog sensors. The test results showed very good correlation with the predictions from the FE models established during the design of the bridge, and the bridge successfully passed the non-destructive load test.</p>