Dr Keerthan Poologanathan

Associate Professor

School: Engineering, Physics and Mathematics

Dr Keerthan Poologanathan is an Associate Professor and the Head of Structural Engineering at Northumbria University. Dr Poologanathan has more than 12 years of experience in R & D in steel structures (Cold-formed and Hot-rolled), thin-walled structures, optimization of steel sections, hollow flange beams, innovative steel products and systems, fire safety of buildings, light gauge steel frames, stainless steel, aluminium structures, lightweight concrete, enhanced plasterboard, phase change materials, thermal and mechanical properties at elevated temperature, modular building systems, advanced numerical modelling, genetic algorithm, energy performance of buildings, fibre composites for retrofitting and rehabilitation of structures. He has published more than 200 research papers.

Since 2010 Dr Poologanathan has been working as a principal or an associate supervisor of more than 30 PhD students. His research is strongly supported by the UK and Australian steel industry. His work on cold-formed steel beams is already featured in Australian codes of practice (AS/NZS 4600, 2018) and he is also part of BSI’s B/525/9 “Structural use of Aluminium” subcommittee member and Eurocode 3. His research has been funded by the Innovative UK, European Union, Industry partners, Australian Research Council (ARC). He has secured ERDF IIIP PhD projects, collaborative PhD projects and KTP projects.

Selected Grants

1) Principal Investigator - Knowledge Transfer Partnership with ESS Modular Construction, Ireland on Innovative Modular Building Connections (2020 to 2022).

2) Principal Supervisor - Knowledge Transfer Partnership (Redbrooks/Northumbria University) Development of Composite Structures - Long Span Flooring Systems”. (2020)

3) Principal Investigator - ERDF Industrial Intensive Innovation Programme, James Christopher Consulting Ltd, Newcastle (2019 to 2022)

4) Principal Investigator - ERDF Industrial Intensive Innovation Programme (IIIP) (NU/The Home Engineers) (2020 to 2023)

5) Principal Investigator - Collaborative PhD Project, James Christopher Consulting Ltd, Newcastle (2019 to 2022)

6) Principal Investigator - Collaborative PhD Project, Northumbria University – Extraspace Solutions Ltd (2019 to 2022)

7) Principal Investigator - Collaborative PhD Project, James Christopher Consulting Ltd, Newcastle (2022 to 2025)

8) Principal Investigator - Collaborative PhD Project, James Christopher Consulting Ltd, Newcastle (2022 to 2025)

9) Co-Investigator - European Regional Development Fund NU/Lynx Precast on Self Compacting Concrete Floor Slabs Containing Fibres (2019 to 2022)

10) Co-Investigator - European Regional Development Fund NU/Bespoke Concrete on Ultra High-Performance Concrete Thin Slabs (2020 to 2023)

Research Supervision

1) 10/2020–09/2023 (exp. completion). Elilarasi Kanthasamy. Development of innovative modular construction beam. (ERDF – Home Designers) Principal Supervisor

2) 10/2018–09/2021 (Completed) Gatheeshgar Perampalam. Optimum design of cold-formed steel beams for modular building applications. Principal Supervisor

3) 10/2019–09/2022 (exp. completion). Kurugamage Dilini Nuwanthika Perera. Fire Performance of Affordable and High-Quality Modular Building Systems (Collaborative PhD-Extraspace Solutions Ltd). Principal Supervisor

4) 10/2018-9/2021 (Completed): DM Madhushan Priyankara Dissanayake. Structural Behaviour of Stainless-Steel Beams Subjected to Shear, Bending, and Combined Bending and Shear Actions. Principal Supervisor

5) 10/2019-9/2022(exp. completion): Deighton Widdowfield Small. Development of Innovative Timber Panels and Connections for Non-Standard Arrangement (ERDF- James Christopher Consulting Ltd). Principal Supervisor

6) 10/2019-9/2022(exp. completion): Alex McIntosh. Web Crippling Design of Optimised Cold-Formed Channel Beams (Collaborative PhD- James Christopher Consulting Ltd). Principal Supervisor

7) 10/2021-9/2024 (exp. completion): Sareh Akbarpoor, Sustainable structural strengthening for improving the service-life of concrete structures. Co-Supervisor

8) 01/2021-01/2024 (exp. completion): Fitsum Haile, Reinforcement of Masonry and Timber Structures with Advanced Materials. Co-Supervisor

9) 10/2020-9/2023 (exp. completion): Muhamad Sifan, Durability of Ultra High Performance Concrete. (ERDF-Bespoke Concrete Funded) Co-Supervisor

10) 01/2021-01/2024 (exp. completion): Heshachanaa Rajanayagam. Development of Innovative Modular Bracing and Connections. Co-Supervisor

11) 2018-2022 (expected completion): Jeffri Ramli, Experimental and Numerical Studies of Steel Fibre Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete Walls. (ERDF-Lynx Funded) Co-Supervisor

12) 10/2018-9/2021 (completed): Thadshajini Suntharalingam. 3D Printed Concrete Structures with increased Structural Performance: Experimental and Numerical Study. (RDF Funded) Co-Supervisor

Professional Activities and Memberships

Member of Eurocode 9: Design of aluminium structures
Member of Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures
Editorial Board Members: Buildings
– Journal Reviewer:
- Structures
- Thin-Walled Structures
- Journal of Constructional Steel Research
- Journal of Building Engineering
- Engineering Structures
- Fire Safety Journal
- Fire and Material
MERcon 2020 Conference co-chair, the 7th International Multidisciplinary Engineering Research Conference organized by University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.

Special Awards and Achievements

Vice-Chancellor’s Performance Award, QUT (2011)
Vice-Chancellor’s Performance Award, QUT (2012)
Vice-Chancellor’s Performance Award, QUT (2014)
Dean’s Excellence Award for Outstanding HDR Student, QUT (2010)
Outstanding Higher Degree Research Award, QUT (2009)
Holcim Award for Best Undergraduate Project (2006)
Building and Structural Engineering Award for Civil Engineering Student (2006)

Campus Address

Ellison Building ELB117
Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST

Email Keerthan

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Flexural behaviour and design of modular construction optimised CFS beams with circular web openings, Lifsey, J., Sifan, M., Poologanathan, K., Gray, D., Kajaharan, T., Elilarasi, K., Higgins, C. 1 Dec 2025, In: Case Studies in Construction Materials
Web crippling behaviour of stainless-steel sigma sections: End-two-flange load case – Comparison study, Thirunavukkarasu, K., Alsanat, H., Poologanathan, K., Gunalan, S., Perampalam, G., Kanthasamy, E., Higgins, C. 1 Nov 2025, In: Steel Construction
Web crippling behaviour of web-perforated sigma sections under interior-two-flange loading condition, Weerasinghe, H., Konthesingha, C., Nanayakkara, A., Poologanathan, K., Nawarathna, T. 1 Jun 2025, In: Journal of Constructional Steel Research
Web crippling design of Cold-Formed sigma sections - IOF load case, Thirunavukkarasu, K., Thushanthan, K., Poologanathan, K., Gunalan, S., Kanthasamy, E., Sifan, M., Higgins, C. 1 Nov 2025, In: Structures
Web crippling design of modular construction optimised beams under interior-two-flange (ITF) loading, Lifsey, J., Gray, D., Sifan, M., Poologanathan, K., Lingaretnam, J., Popo-Ola, S., Higgins, C. 20 Aug 2025, In: Advances in Structural Engineering
Web crippling investigation of perforated aluminium lipped channels under interior-one-flange loading condition, Alsanat, H., Gunalan, S., Alrsai, M., Poologanathan, K., Abu Yousef, M. 1 Apr 2025, In: Advances in Structural Engineering
A new bonding agent for the Near-surface mounted Fibre-reinforced polymer strengthening system for concrete structures, Akbarpoor, S., Rezazadeh, M., Ghiassi, B., Poologanathan, K., Corradi, M., Amess, L. 2024, In: Procedia Structural Integrity
A new bond-slip model for NSM FRP systems using cement-based adhesives through artificial neural networks (ANN), Akbarpoor, S., Rezazadeh, M., Ghiassi, B., Khayatian, F., Poologanathan, K., Sefat, H., Corradi, M. 10 May 2024, In: Construction and Building Materials
Behaviour of timber infilled cold-formed steel tubular short columns under monotonic and cyclic compression: An experimental study, Thamboo, J., Navaratnam, S., Poologanathan, K. 1 Dec 2024, In: Structures
Comprehensive evaluation of flat pack modular building systems: Design, structural performance, and operational efficiency, Rajanayagam, H., Beatinia, V., Poologanathan, K., Nagaratnam, B. 15 Oct 2024, In: Journal of Building Engineering

PGR Supervision

Biswash Baniya Structural Health Monitoring of Steel Frame Structures for the Circular Economy – Implementation of Sensors and AI Start Date: 01/10/2025 End Date: 17/10/2025
Drew Gray New Generation of cold-formed steel beams for structural applications Start Date: 01/10/2022
Jack Lifsey Structural performance of modular construction optimised beams with web openings Start Date: 01/10/2023
Biswash Baniya Structural Health Monitoring of Steel Frame Structures for the Circular Economy – Implementation of Sensors and AI Start Date: 01/10/2025
Drew Gray New Generation of cold-formed steel beams for structural applications Start Date: 01/10/2022 End Date: 17/10/2025
Kajaharan Thirunavukkarasu Structural performance of Cold-Formed Sigma steel beams subjected to web crippling action Start Date: 01/10/2022 End Date: 01/10/2025
Jack Lifsey Structural performance of modular construction optimised beams with web openings Start Date: 01/10/2023 End Date: 17/10/2025

Qualifications

Engineering PhD June 30 2010

Qualifications

Ph.D.

Research Themes & Scholarly Interests

Steel structures (Cold-formed and Hot-rolled), thin-walled structures, optimization of steel sections, hollow flange beams, innovative steel products and systems, fire safety of buildings, light gauge steel frames, stainless steel, aluminium structures, lightweight concrete, enhanced plasterboard, phase change materials, thermal and mechanical properties at elevated temperature, modular building systems, advanced numerical modelling, genetic algorithm, energy performance of buildings, fibre composites for retrofitting and rehabilitation of structures.

Professional Activity

Jul 2015 – 2017: Lecturer, QUT, Australia

Jan 2013 – Jul 2015: Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellow, QUT, Australia

Feb 2010 – Dec 2012: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, QUT, Australia

Feb 2007 – Oct 2009: PhD Researcher, QUT, Australia

Feb 2007 – Jul 2015: Sessional Academic Staff (Tutor), QUT, Australia

Sponsors and Collaborators

Lynx Precast Concrete, Ashington, Northumberland, UK

Intelligent Steel, Peterlee, Durham, UK

MMC Engineers ltd, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK

EOS Façade, Newton Aycliffe, Durham, UK

Etex, Bristol, UK

Cemex, Newcastle, UK

Current/Recent Projects

ERDF Industrial Intensive Innovation Programme (IIIP) with Lynx Precast, Ashington – September 2018

Collaborative PhD Projects with MMC Engineers – September 2018

Key Publications/Outputs

Keerthan, P. and Mahendran, M. (2010), Experimental Studies on the Shear Behaviour and Strength of LiteSteel Beams, Engineering Structures, Vol. 32, pp. 3235-3247.

Keerthan, P. and Mahendran, M. (2012), Numerical Studies of Gypsum Plasterboards under Fire Conditions, Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 53, pp. 105-119.

Keerthan, P. and Mahendran, M. (2012), Numerical Modelling of Non-Load Bearing Light Gauge Cold-formed Steel Frame Walls under Fire Conditions, Journal of Fire Science, Vol. 30, pp.375-403.

Keerthan, P. and Mahendran, M. (2015), Improved Shear Design Rules of Cold-formed Steel Beams, Engineering Structures, pp.603–615.

Sundararajah, L., Mahendran, M., and Keerthan, P. (2017), Web Crippling Studies of SupaCee Sections under Two Flange Load Cases, Engineering Structures, Vol.153, pp. 582-597.

Imran, M., Mahendran, M., and Keerthan, P. (2017), Mechanical Properties of Cold-formed Steel Tubular Sections at Elevated Temperatures, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Vol. 143, pp. 131-147.

PGR Supervision

Current Projects

Mechanical Performance of precast steel fibre reinforced concrete
Integration of 3D printing and topology optimization for load bearing masonry blocks with enhanced fire and energy performance
Structural Behaviour of Stainless Steel Beams Subject to Shear and “Combined Bending and Shear” Actions
Optimisation of Cold Form Steel Beams for Modular Building Applications
Life Cycle Analysis of Various Supplementary Cementitious Materials

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Flexural behaviour of hardwood and softwood beams with mechanically connected GFRP plates. Publication Status: Published 2018
Design of SupaCee Sections Subject to Web Crippling under One-Flange Load Cases. Publication Status: Published 2018
Experimental and numerical investigations of CFRP strengthened short SHS steel columns. Publication Status: Published 2018
Heat transfer modelling of CFRP strengthened and insulated steel tubular columns. Publication Status: Published 2018
State-space Levy solution for size-dependent static, free vibration and buckling behaviours of functionally graded sandwich plates. Publication Status: Published 2018
Predicting the fire performance of LSF walls made of web stiffened channel sections. Publication Status: Published 2018
Section moment capacity design rules for rivet fastened rectangular hollow flange channel beams. Publication Status: Published 2018
Lateral distortional buckling of rivet fastened rectangular hollow flange channel beams. Publication Status: Published 2018
Experimental Shear Study of Rivet-Fastened Rectangular Hollow Flange Channel Beams with Web Openings. Publication Status: Published 2018
Mechanical properties of cold-formed steel tubular sections at elevated temperatures. Publication Status: Published 2018