Coupled 3D Mechano-Electrochemical Finite Element Modeling of Interacting Corrosion Defects in Buried Pipelines
Received: 30 October 2025 | Revised: 17 November 2025 | Accepted: 21 November 2025 | Online: 4 April 2026
Corresponding author: Umair Sarwar
Abstract
Buried pipelines face significant challenges from external corrosion, particularly stress corrosion. This localized form of degradation is driven by the influence of mechanical stresses, soil environments, and electrochemical reactions. This study developed a Three-Dimensional (3D) Finite Element (FE) model to analyze the Mechano-Electrochemical (M-E) effects on corroded pipelines. Understanding the effects of M-E interaction in corrosion processes is crucial for ensuring the integrity and longevity of these pipelines. The study presents a 3D FE simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics software to investigate the M-E effect on corrosion defects by simulating the stress corrosion behavior of X46 buried steel pipeline. The results reveal that increasing longitudinal tensile strain and corrosion defect depth lead to localized stress enhancements on the pipe wall. While tensile strain leads to an increase in the overall stress level, deeper corrosion defects concentrate stress at the defect center.
Keywords:
mechano-electrochemical, 3D FE model, stress corrosion, buried pipelines, corrosion defectsDownloads
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Copyright (c) 2026 Umair Sarwar, Ainul Akmar Mokhtar, Hilmi Hussin, Masdi Muhammad, Afzal Ahmed Soomro, Nadir Hussain
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