Dr. Mehran Zeynalian is a full professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Isfahan, and a prominent figure in structural engineering and construction project management in Iran. He earned his Ph.D. from The University of Queensland, Australia, specializing in the seismic performance of cold-formed steel structures and risk management in earthquake-prone regions, following his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Isfahan University of Technology.
With over two decades of academic, research, and executive experience, Dr. Zeynalian has authored or co-authored more than 48 ISI journal papers, 71 conference papers, and several technical books and national codes. His innovative work on cold formed steel structures (CFS) has led to significant reductions in structural weight and costs, improved seismic performance, and enhanced environmental sustainability in large-scale projects.
In addition to his academic role, he has held senior leadership positions, including Deputy Governor for Civil Affairs of Isfahan Province, Director of Technical Affairs at the University of Isfahan, and CEO of an innovation-based company in the university’s incubator center. He has supervised numerous graduate theses and postdoctoral projects, many of which have translated into industrial applications and national projects.
1. Structural design and seismic performance optimization of cold-formed steel (CFS) structures
2. Design and optimization of connections in cold formed steel structures
3. Design and optimization of composite concrete and cold-formed steel decks
4. Risk analysis and management of civil and infrastructure projects
5. Development of BIM models for building and industrial structures
1. Structural design and seismic performance optimization of cold-formed steel (CFS) structures
2. Design and optimization of connections in cold formed steel structures
3. Design and optimization of composite concrete and cold-formed steel decks
4. Risk analysis and management of civil and infrastructure projects
5. Development of BIM models for building and industrial structures
- Bachelor, Eng., University of Isfahan [Isfahan - Iran]
- Bachelor, Eng., University of Isfahan [Isfahan - Iran]
- Bachelor, Dr, University of Queensland [Brisbane - Australia]
Articles
International Journal of Steel Structures (20936311)25(2)pp. 449-461
Cold-formed steel C-shaped connectors are one of the most commonly used components in a connection e.g. track-to-stud connections which may be exposed to various destructive failure modes. This paper presents a detailed experimental study of 78 specimens to investigate the pull-out ultimate strength and force–displacement responses of C-shaped connectors subjected to tensile loading conditions. Effects of various design parameters were considered including plate thickness, screw diameter size, distance between the screw rows and formed corner of the C-shaped sections, number and arrangement of the screws, and internal screw rows. Then, a developed pull-out strength equation with a resistance reduction factor was proposed and the obtained results were compared against existing design standard equations. From the comparisons, the proposed equation can accurately predict the screw pull-out strength in C-shaped connectors’ webs. The results of this equation can be applied to analytical methods as mechanical characteristics of the component of C-shaped section’s web in tension or bending. © Korean Society of Steel Construction 2025.
Thin-Walled Structures (02638231)199
Cold-formed steel composite beams are known for their unique advantages, like being lightweight and ease of installation. The use of profiled steel sheeting in cold-formed composite beams reduces construction time and costs by acting as a permanent formwork in the composite beams. The current study presents a 3D finite element model of cold-formed steel composite beam specimens comprising a cold-formed double-lipped channel section, profiled steel sheeting, concrete slab, and bolted shear connector. Employing bolted shear connectors, structural components can be deconstructed and replaced after their service life expires or if they are damaged. The characteristics of the materials obtained from an experimental program were assigned to the finite element model. Geometric characteristics, material nonlinearities, and loading procedures were attentively simulated, and a dynamic explicit procedure was employed for the numerical analyses. A comparison of the results obtained from the finite element models and the available experimental results validated the precision of the models. Then, numerical studies were conducted to investigate the effects of various parameters, including compressive strength of concrete, thickness of concrete slab, height and grade of cold-formed steel section, thickness of profiled steel sheeting, number and diameter of shear connectors, on the behavior of the composite beam. The results showed that the height and grade of the cold-formed steel section and compressive strength and thickness of the concrete slab have a significant effect on increasing the capacity of the composite beam. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd
Considering the importance of cold-formed steel clip angles in light-weight structures, this paper presents an experimental investigation into the behavior of cold-formed steel clip angles when one leg is connected to a thin-walled member and the other leg is subjected to tension forces. Of particular interests were ultimate tensile and shear resistances, as well as different potential failure modes, such as pull-out, pull-through, and bearing/tilting. Effects of various design parameters were investigated, including number of screws, size of screws, thickness of the member connected to the screw head, thickness of the member connected to the screw threads, ratio of the distance between the clip angle's corner and the bolt row to the distance between the corner and the screw row, and screw installation direction. The data obtained from experimental tests were compared to those obtained from current design standards’ equations. Subsequently, new design equations were proposed for the pull-out and bearing strengths as the dominant failure modes in order to overcome the overestimation and the underestimation of existing equations. © 2024 Institution of Structural Engineers
Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines (15397742)52(2)pp. 628-649
Due to the low thickness of cold-formed steel (CFS) sections, welding of traditional studs on them is not recommended; and there is a need to use shear connectors suitable for this type of sections. In this paper, the behavior of U-shaped shear connectors as connectors compatible with CFS composite beams has been investigated, to offer practical relationships for predicting the ultimate strength of this type of connectors. Accordingly, after the development of finite element (FE) models with the ability to predict the ultimate strength of U-shaped connectors, their performance against experimental results was validated. Then, an extensive parametric study, consisting of 216 numerical samples, was accomplished to provide a reliable database. As the main and most important of this study, two methods of artificial neural networks and stepwise regression were developed, and practical formulations were proposed to predict the ultimate strength of U-shaped shear connectors in CFS composite beams. Finally, in addition to evaluating the accuracy of the proposed formulas, a comparison was made between them and the relationships proposed by AISI, AS/NZS and EC3 codes for CFS screw connections. The relationships presented in this paper can be used by practical engineers in the design process of CFS composite beams. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
While cold-formed steel structures have been extensively studied for seismic-resistant construction, existing regulations, and implementation guidelines do not comprehensively address the impact of key design parameters on the seismic behavior of CFS strap-braced shear wall systems. This study investigates the lateral resistance and seismic behavior factor of strap-braced shear walls and compares them with code values, and tries to fully understand the effect of different design parameters on the seismic R-factor of these systems. The effect of parameters such as the strap cross-sectional area, aspect ratio, and distance between the studs is studied using ANSYS finite element software to create datasets for various configurations. The pushover analysis results obtained from this analysis are utilized to perform incremental dynamic analysis, under a set of 22 ground motion records, to evaluate the seismic response modification factor for different residential buildings. For this purpose, one to four-story residential buildings are designed based on four seismic hazard zones: low, moderate, high, and very high and then, they are analyzed. Results of pushover analysis show that increasing the strap cross-sectional area and aspect ratio increases capacity, but changing the distance between studs does not have a significant effect, and the R factor presented by codes is conservative. Incremental dynamic analysis results also indicate that the behavior of studied buildings varies depending on the structure and selected record and the suggested R factor by codes for diagonal straps braced cold-formed steel structures is acceptable for buildings up to three stories in low, medium, and high seismic zones, and for buildings up to two stories in very high seismic zones. Overall, this study shows that strap-braced cold-formed steel shear walls have the potential to achieve higher seismic R-values in comparison to design codes. © 2024 Institution of Structural Engineers