Progress and Prospects of 3D-Printed Steel Structures

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is gradually being adopted in the field of construction engineering due to its advantages of high customization, rapid prototyping, and environmental sustainability. Steel, with its high strength, good toughness, excellent workability, and cost-effectiveness, is a critical material for modern structural engineering. The integration of AM technology with steel offers enormous potential for future construction applications. AM processesparticularly Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)can produce unique microstructural features such as hierarchical (sub)grains, fine precipitates, and nanoscale inclusions, which significantly affect the materials mechanical, corrosion, and wear properties . This paper first reviews commonly used metal additive manufacturing technologies and their current applications; second, it systematically summarizes key research findings on additively manufactured structural steels for construction; and finally, it offers a perspective on the technology itself, the performance of 3D-printed steels, and the importance and prospects of this approach.