Mechanical behavior, damage mode and mechanism of AlSi10Mg porous structure manufactured by selective laser melting

•Bearing capacity and energy absorption characteristics of the optimized AlSi10Mg structure are significantly enhanced.•Finite element calculation model used in this paper accurately describes the mechanical behavior of AlSi10Mg structure.•Fracture features of AlSi10Mg porous structure indicate a ductile as well as a brittle failure under compressive load.•Normalized energy absorption helps designers select the one structure most suitable for a given application.