Experimental Application of Robotic Wire-and-Arc Additive Manufacturing Technique for Strengthening the I-Beam Profiles

Abstract

In recent years, the use of Wire-and-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for strengthening standardized steel elements received significant interest within the research community. The reason for this lies in the theoretical potential of WAAM to improve the economic and environmental aspects of contemporary steel construction through efficient material consumption. As efficiency is often obtained through detailed design study, the paper presents a design exploration of suitable stiffener geometries under the assumption of infinite geometrical freedom. The assumption is eventually invalidated as process constraints specific to the generated geometries emerge from test trials. Once identified, process constraints are documented and overcome through adequate and precise path planning. Feasibility analysis is an important step between design and fabrication, especially in the case of large-scale or geometrically complex components. With reference to the case of stiffeners, a feasibility analysis is necessary to take into account the specific geometrical limits of the build volume, which is not typically the case for conventional WAAM fabrication. The current research provides the first investigation to understand the means for future on-site WAAM strengthening of existing steel structural elements.