Computational Design and Fabrication Strategy for Topology Optimization of Spiral Staircase Using Metal Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

The study presents the integration of Topology Optimization (TO) as a design strategy and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) as a fabrication strategy. Although TO is well-known in the discipline, a gap in implementing this technique in architectural design due to fabrication limitations remains. In this research, an integrated framework is proposed to obtain a design where both TO and WAAM printing are implemented simultaneously. This framework is divided into five main phases, (1) checking suitability, (2) preprocessing, (3) processing, (4) post-processing, and (5) printing. The framework is then applied to the design of a topology-optimized spiral staircase and studied for fabrication using WAAM metal 3D printing. The results conclude that avoiding the usual standardization of design can be realized by implementing a framework that takes the fabrication strategies into consideration throughout the design process.