Hybrid steel construction solutions combining traditional and additive manufacturing

Abstract Hybrid steel construction, combining the production efficiency of traditional manufacturing methods with the geometric freedom and scope for optimisation enabled by additive manufacturing, has shown great potential for use in structural applications. Wire‐based 3D printing methods, including wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), are considered to be the most suitable for the scale and demands of construction. Anticipated benefits include reduced material usage, heightened structural efficiency, enhanced automation and reduction in environmental impact. Specific applications include the utilization of additive manufacturing for the production of detailed components, such as connections, nodes and stiffeners (that also lend themselves to topology optimization) and for the strengthening of both new and existing structural members. The hybrid steel construction concept, early successful examples of its application and an outlook for future developments are presented in this paper.