“Hot Off the Printer” – Modern Steel Construction

Excerpt and image provided by Modern Steel Construction – Hot Off the Printer

Inside the Making of a 3D-Printed Steel Bridge

One of the most extensive 3D-printing steel bridge projects in the U.S. was constructed to be an exhibit. Not in a museum or on display in a real-world setting, but as a main attraction at 2025 NASCC: The Steel Conference in Louisville, Ky. AISC made a 36-ft-long 3D-printed steel pedestrian bridge the centerpiece of its booth at the conference as a showcase for the type of connections and geometries possible with steel 3D printing. Following its display at The Steel Conference, it became part of a load testing research project that ventured into new territory and remains ongoing.

Steel additive manufacturing (AM), otherwise known as 3D printing with steel weldment, is a new tool in an engineer’s toolbox that opens the door to new design possibilities. The AISC bridge demonstrates AM’s potential when used in combination with standard structural shapes. AM can be most beneficial when complex geometries are not physically possible to construct with traditional structural sections, or when a desired component or connection geometry is not available as a standard rolled shape.

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