Additive Manufacturing for Structural Steel Applications

Research under way on large-format metallic additive manufacturing for structural steel applications is highlighted. Dr. Ryan Sherman, Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, leads this study. Dr. Sherman’s research on steel bridge and ancillary highway structures encompasses large-scale laboratory testing, field monitoring, material characterization, and finite element simulation. Research interests include fatigue, fracture, and additive manufacturing for civil engineering infrastructure. The Terry Peshia Early Career Faculty Award (AISC), the Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture (Steel Bridge Task Force), and Georgia Tech’s Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching are among Dr. Sherman’s accolades. An AISC Milek Fellowship, awarded in 2023, supports this research, building on work with Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions and funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). As part of that effort, AISC Undergraduate Research Fellow Shirin Raschid Farrokhi investigated fatigue performance under the mentorship of PhD candidate Hannah Kessler. Kessler, the 2025 Reidar Bjorhovde Outstanding Young Professional recipient, also conducted tension, impact, and fatigue testing for the FHWA project and, with PhD student Zachary de Haaff, has been integral to the research team. Selected highlights from completed and planned research are presented.