Nader Nabih Khalil
Asst. Professor
Finite element analysis and empirical design models for the flexural capacity of reinforced concrete beams enclosing smooth and perforated cold formed sections
Discover Civil Engineering • 2026
Publication Information
Authors
Mohamed Eldeib, Nader Khalil, Ashraf Abou‑Rayan & Ahmed Youssef Kamal
Keywords
Encased beams, Cold-formed steel Section, Perforated sections, Flexural strength
Journal
Discover Civil Engineering
Publisher
Springer Nature Link
Volume
3
Issue
article number 80
Pages
Not Available
publication.type
International
Paper Link
Open Link
Supplementary Materials
Not Available
Abstract
This study investigates the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams encasing smooth and perforated cold-formed steel (CFS) sections. A comprehensive three-dimensional nonlinear finite element (FE) model was developed in ANSYS to simulate the load–deflection response and ultimate capacity of composite beams. Validation against experimental results showed that discrepancies in ultimate load and mid-span deflection were within ± 7%. A parametric study assessed the influence of CFS thickness, height, and configurations (back-to-back, front-to-front, U, and n-shapes). Results revealed that increasing CFS thickness and height significantly enhanced stiffness and ultimate load. While perforations slightly reduced the ultimate capacity in some cases, they significantly improved ductility through enhanced mechanical interlock. Finally, high-order polynomial empirical design models (Z-K and Z-M equations) were proposed to predict the ultimate load enhancement ratio (Z) with high correlation (R2 > 0.97). These formulas, validated for thickness ratios (K) up to 4% and height ratios (M) up to 0.9, provide a reliable and practical tool for the preliminary design and optimization of composite beams within these geometric limits.
