Finite Element Investigation of Corrugated Steel Pipe with Extreme Corrosion under Shallow Cover

Across the United States, a large number of corrugated steel pipes, installed three or four decades ago, are approaching the end of their useful service life. In many cases, these aging drainage structures have significant degrees of metal loss over their inverts due to the conveyance of abrasive surface water thay can be acidic. However, there is not yet any guidance or specification on the design of concrete poured in the culverts with high level of corrosion at invert for rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to use experimental results and finite element (FE) modeling of a culvert under Coopermill Road near Zanesville in Muskingum County, OH, selected for replacement based on its level of corrosion in order to the results to be used to develop a rational design method. The FE model was calibrated and validated with previously published experimental results by the authors. Before replacement, concrete was poured in half of the culvert towards the outlet. The culvert was also simulated using FE modeling with the three-dimensional ABAQUS program. FE model results were in reasonable agreement with experimental measurements. Despite the condition, the culvert supported a load considerably larger than the legal limit of 18 kips. The stresses at the interface of the steel culvert and the poured concrete treatment were not very large. The FE model results were in good agreement with field measurements. This agreement may have been enhanced by the materials undergoing cyclic loading during the culvert’s service life. This preliminary study indicated that the three-dimensional FE model program could be utilized to develop a rational design procedure.