Biography

Alper Kanyilmaz is an associate professor in the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering of Politecnico di Milano in Italy. He applies data-driven approaches, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing techniques to drive a digitalized and sustainable transition in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector towards a life-cycle driven building structures. He has been the principal investigator of 4 EU-projects with a €10 million total budget and 40+ international partners. He is an Expert Advisor for the European Commission Technical group “Steel Applications for New Markets” (Mandate 2023-2028), and project monitoring expert for European Commission, B.1 – Future Low Emission Industries. He is the coordinator of EU-funded research projects ConstructAdd and LASTTS. He transfers his research experience to the civil engineering and architecture students in terms of teaching, MSc and PhD thesis supervision.

Full article list / Books / Talks

If you would like to cooperate, please contact him.

Research

His three research lines are constructed using both numerical and experimental methods, up to high TRL levels (e.g., pilot-scale):

Highly cited articles:

Kanyilmaz A, Demir A.G., Chierici M., Berto F., Gardner L., Kandukuri S.Y., Kassabian P., Kinoshita T., Laurenti A., Paoletti I., Plessis A., Razavi J., Role of metal 3D printing to increase quality and resource-efficiency in the construction sector, Additive Manufacturing, Volume 50, 2022, 102541, ISSN 2214-8604, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102541

Kanyilmaz, A., The problematic nature of steel hollow section joint fabrication, and a remedy using laser cutting technology: A review of research, applications, opportunities, Engineering Structures, v. 183, 2019, p. 1027-1048, ISSN 0141-0296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.12.080

Kanyilmaz A., Tichell P.R.N., Loiacono D., A genetic algorithm tool for conceptual structural design with cost and embodied carbon optimization (2022) Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 112, art. no. 104711, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2022.104711

Kanyilmaz A., Dang V., Kondratenko A., How does conceptual design impact the cost and carbon footprint of structures?, Structures, Volume 58, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2023.105102.

Kanyilmaz, A., Birhane, M., Fishwick, R., Castillo C.. Reuse of Steel in the Construction Industry: Challenges and Opportunities. Int J Steel Struct (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13296-023-00778-4.

Menghini A., Kanyilmaz A., Calado L., Castiglioni C.A., Experimental Assessment of the Behavior of Tubular Truss Girder Joints Fabricated with Laser Cutting Technology (2023) Journal of Structural Engineering (United States), 149 (6), https://doi.org/10.1061/JSENDH.STENG-12019

Teaching

He transfers his research experience to the civil engineering and architecture students (300/year) in terms of teaching, MSc and PhD thesis supervision. Moreover, Dr. Kanyilmaz provides industry-focused training courses aimed at mitigating embodied carbon within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector (you can contact him for a training request).

Dr. Kanyilmaz’s teaching, blending numerical simulations and hands-on experiments in class, lab, and online, echoes Socratic inquiry: “Can it be, Ischomachus, that asking questions is teaching? I am just beginning to see what is behind all your questions. You lead me on by means of things I know, point to things that resemble them, and persuade me that I know things that I thought I had no knowledge of.”

News

Australian Steel Institute, Training, Best Practice LCA for Steel Construction

Australian Steel Institute, Training, Best Practice LCA for Steel Construction

7-8 May 2025

Alper will give a two-part live-streamed training on strategies (organized by Australian Steel Institute)

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Next-Generation Fabrication: Laser Cutting for Tubular Steel Connections at NASCC 2025

Next-Generation Fabrication: Laser Cutting for Tubular Steel Connections at NASCC 2025

4 April 2025

In NASCC 2025, Lousville, USA, Alper Kanyilmaz will talk about the use of Laser Cutting Technology

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AI Training in Milano

AI Training in Milano

7 and 8 March 2025

Organized by Alper Kanyilmaz in collaboration with Microsoft, Arup, Intellimech, Edinnova, and the Italian PropTech

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Artificial Intelligence for AEC companies

Artificial Intelligence for AEC companies

26-28 February 2025

Organized by FUNDEC – DECivil, this online training program will take place on February 26, 27, and

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AI-powered Steel Structures

AI-powered Steel Structures

3 and 5 December 2024

Alper Kanyilmaz and Paul Kassabian (Principal and Structural Engineer at Simpson Gumpertz &

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How to enable AI for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Companies?

How to enable AI for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Companies?

2-3 October 2024

Alper Kanyilmaz will lead the teleworkshop titled “How to Enable AI for Architecture, Engineering & Construction Companies?”

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Visiting research in Technical University of Munich, Germany

Visiting research in Technical University of Munich, Germany

10 July 2024

Alper Kanyilmaz visited Prof. Martin Mensinger at his Metal Structures chair at the Technical University of Munich,

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Lecture in Bologna, Italy

Lecture in Bologna, Italy

8 July 2024

Alper Kanyilmaz gave a lecture with title “Life cycle driven strategies for large-scale metal 3D printing” in

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ConstructAdd team is growing.

ConstructAdd team is growing.

10 April 2024

Beyond dreaming, the EU-funded R&D project ConstructAdd is making steps toward a future

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New article “Fatigue analysis of hybrid steel construction parts using LPBF on hot-rolled steel”

New article “Fatigue analysis of hybrid steel construction parts using LPBF on hot-rolled steel”

Is timber better for climate than steel and concrete? It’s actually not that simple

Is timber better for climate than steel and concrete? It’s actually not that simple

Life-cycle driven design of steel structures

Life-cycle driven design of steel structures

20 January 2024

Dr. Kanyilmaz created an 8-hour training, where you’ll gain a deep understanding of:
🌍 Challenges and opportunities for

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Reuse of Steel in the Construction Industry: Challenges and Opportunities

Reuse of Steel in the Construction Industry: Challenges and Opportunities

25 September 2023

Kanyilmaz, A., Birhane, M.Fishwick, R.Castillo C.. Reuse of Steel in the Construction Industry: Challenges and Opportunities. Int

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3rd coordination meeting of ConstructAdd project

3rd coordination meeting of ConstructAdd project

21-22 September 2023

3rd coordination meeting of ConstructAdd project took place in Turin, Italy. ConstructAdd is a EU-RFCS project coordinated

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Fatigue Stress Concentration Factor Reduction via Metal Additive Manufacturing. Strength Mater 55, 575–581 (2023)

Fatigue Stress Concentration Factor Reduction via Metal Additive Manufacturing. Strength Mater 55, 575–581 (2023)

Laser Directed Energy Deposition on Conventional Tubular Steel Profiles

Laser Directed Energy Deposition on Conventional Tubular Steel Profiles

18 Luglio 2023

Serge Mrad graduated with his MSc thesis titled Laser Directed Energy Deposition on Conventional Tubular Steel Profiles . His

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Hybrid manufacturing of steel construction parts via arc welding of LPBF-produced and hot-rolled stainless steels

Hybrid manufacturing of steel construction parts via arc welding of LPBF-produced and hot-rolled stainless steels

Experimental Assessment of the Behavior of Tubular Truss Girder Joints Fabricated with Laser Cutting Technology

Experimental Assessment of the Behavior of Tubular Truss Girder Joints Fabricated with Laser Cutting Technology

15 July 2023

Menghini, A.Kanyilmaz, A., Calado, L.Castiglioni C.A. Experimental Assessment of the Behavior of Tubular Truss Girder Joints

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A Metal 3D Printing Workflow to Design Lightweight Façade Joints

A Metal 3D Printing Workflow to Design Lightweight Façade Joints

25 May 2023

Davide Papini graduated with his MSc thesis titled “A Metal 3D Printing Workflow to Design Lightweight Façade Joints“,

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The pain points of the structural design that can be addressed with the opportunities of metal 3d printing

The pain points of the structural design that can be addressed with the opportunities of metal 3d printing

ConstructAdd 2nd coordination meeting in Madrid

ConstructAdd 2nd coordination meeting in Madrid

9 February 2023

ConstructAdd 2nd coordination meeting in Madrid took place in Madrid, Spain.

Project coordinator Alper Kanyilmaz from

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Changing the world’s most resource-intensive industry with metal 3D printing

Changing the world’s most resource-intensive industry with metal 3D printing

1 February 2023

3D Printing Industry published an article with Alper Kanyilmaz on how ConstructAdd project is aiming to increase resource

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End of 1st semester 2022/2023. Steel, timber and reinforced concrete structures course

End of 1st semester 2022/2023. Steel, timber and reinforced concrete structures course

22 December 2022

End of 1st semester 2022/2023. Steel, timber and reinforced concrete structures course completed. Done together with 170

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Seismic response prediction of steel moment frames using machine learning methods

Seismic response prediction of steel moment frames using machine learning methods

21 December 2022

Hassan Haidar graduated with his MSc thesis titled “Seismic response prediction of steel moment

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EU-RFCS CONSTRUCTADD project kick-off

EU-RFCS CONSTRUCTADD project kick-off

8 September 2022

We kicked-off EU-RFCS CONSTRUCTADD project in Milano, aiming to place the Metal Additive Manufacturing in the mainstream of Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry

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Two theses in a day!

Two theses in a day!

Mussie Amaha Birhane and Furkan Turan graduated with their MSc thesis titled “Automated decision-making framework

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Conceptual Design of Mass Timber Structures using Genetic Algorithms

Conceptual Design of Mass Timber Structures using Genetic Algorithms

27 April 2022

Our MSc student Van Hoi Dang discussed successfully his thesis “Conceptual Design of Mass Timber

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A genetic algorithm tool for conceptual structural design with cost and embodied carbon optimization

A genetic algorithm tool for conceptual structural design with cost and embodied carbon optimization

EU-RFCS DISSIPABLE final workshop

EU-RFCS DISSIPABLE final workshop

23 February 2022

EU-RFCS DISSIPABLE final workshop: Alper coordinated this 4 year research project composed of pilot-scale shaking table tests,

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Role of metal 3D printing to increase quality and resource-efficiency in the construction sector

Role of metal 3D printing to increase quality and resource-efficiency in the construction sector

24 January 2022

Role of metal 3D printing to increase quality and resource-efficiency in the construction sector” is published in 

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Automated warehouses, and massive racking structures

Automated warehouses, and massive racking structures

26 October 2021

The MSc thesis of Aleksei Kondratenko resulted in an elegant journal article (4 rounds of

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Nature-inspired optimization of tubular joints for metal 3D printing

Nature-inspired optimization of tubular joints for metal 3D printing

1 August 2021

New article published: “Nature-inspired optimization of tubular joints for metal 3D printing”. We analyzed new tubular joint

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Hybrid bolted joints composed of conventional and additively manufacturated steel profiles

Hybrid bolted joints composed of conventional and additively manufacturated steel profiles

22 July 2021

Our MSc student Muyao Li discussed successfully his thesis

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Architectural & structural design studio 2021/2022

Architectural & structural design studio 2021/2022

10 June 2021

End of 2nd year architectural & structural design studio 2021/2022: Conceptual design of steel, timber, and reinforced

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Foto-Contest 2021 – Modulo Strutture

Foto-Contest 2021 – Modulo Strutture

27 May 2021

The results of the foto-contest I organized for my 2nd year BSc Architecture students are published

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A multi-criteria conceptual design method using genetic algorithms to optimize structures

A multi-criteria conceptual design method using genetic algorithms to optimize structures

25 March 2021 11:30 CET Speaker in AI in AEC conference: “A multi-criteria conceptual design method using genetic algorithms toContinue reading A multi-criteria conceptual design method using genetic algorithms to optimize structures

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Resource efficient joint fabrication by welding metal 3D printed parts to conventional steel: A structural integrity study

Resource efficient joint fabrication by welding metal 3D printed parts to conventional steel: A structural integrity study

The problematic nature of steel hollow section joint fabrication, and a remedy using laser cutting technology: A review of research, applications, opportunities

The problematic nature of steel hollow section joint fabrication, and a remedy using laser cutting technology: A review of research, applications, opportunities

15 March 2019

New article published: “The problematic nature of steel hollow section joint fabrication, and a remedy using laser

Continue reading The problematic nature of steel hollow section joint fabrication, and a remedy using laser cutting technology: A review of research, applications, opportunities

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