Techno Press
Techno Press

Computers and Concrete
  Volume 37, Number 2, February 2026 , pages 289-316
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/cac.2026.37.2.289
 


Structural design of RC beams with stainless-steel reinforcement: Simplified analytical framework, equivalent stress method, and reliability analysis
Musab Rabi, Felipe Piana Vendramell Ferreira, Ahmad N. Tarawneh, Ikram Abarkan, Rabee Shamass, Mazen J. Al-Kheetan, Yazan Momani

 
Abstract
    This paper proposes a new flexural design framework for stainless-steel RC beams based on an equivalent stress approach as well as simplified analytical approach that compromise the simplicity and practicality of design and incorporates the strain hardening of stainless-steel reinforcement. A comprehensive assessment of the proposed method and the current design procedures adopted for stainless-steel RC beam is presented using the collected data. The assessment includes a comparison with Eurocode 2 and ACI 318-19 as well as the Continuous Strength Method (CSM) for RC beams. The sensitivity of parameters on both ultimate and cracking moments is evaluated through a parametric study. In addition, a reliability analysis is performed to suggest a new partial safety factor for designing stainless-steel RC beams. The proposed simplified analytical approach demonstrated clear superiority over all other evaluated design methods, including Eurocode 2 (EC2), ACI 318-19, the Continuous Strength Method (CSM), and the proposed equivalent stress approach. The mean values of predicted-to-tested ratio and RMSE are 0.99 and 27.8. In addition to its accuracy, the simplified approach offered a straightforward, noniterative procedure, making it highly practical for both manual calculations and software-assisted design.
 
Key Words
    CSM; flexural behaviour; new design method; RC beam; reliability analysis; stainless-steel reinforcement
 
Address
Musab Rabi: Department of Civil Engineering, Jerash University, 26150, Jordan
Felipe Piana Vendramell Ferreira: Department of Civil Engineering, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
Ahmad N. Tarawneh: Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, The Hashemite University, P.O. box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan
Ikram Abarkan: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, 93002, Tetouan, Morocco
Rabee Shamass: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brunel University London, London, UK
Mazen J. Al-Kheetan: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O. Box 7, Mutah 61710, Jordan
Yazan Momani: Civil Engineering Department, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan
 

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