Structural Response of Wire Arc Additively Manufactured Steel T‐stub Connections

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the structural response of wire arc additively manufactured (WAAM) steel T‐stub connections subjected to tension. A total of fifty‐two T‐stub specimens of different printing strategies and geometric configurations were tested to failure. 3D laser scanning was employed to determine the specimen geometry, while digital image correlation was used to monitor the strain and displacement fields during testing. The structural response exhibited by the tested specimens was more complex than that reported in the literature for conventionally fabricated T‐stubs. Therefore, a new approach for the determination of the plastic resistance and failure modes of WAAM T‐stub connections was developed. Finally, the obtained results were used to evaluate the applicability of current design equations to WAAM T‐stub connections.