An Investigation on the Effect of Random Pitting Corrosion on the Strength of the Subsea Pipeline Using Monte Carlo Method

Abstract

Pitting corrosion is normally distributed randomly along the pipeline, which is the source of the uncertainty affecting the ultimate bearing capacity of the submarine pipelines. So the Monte Carlo method is employed to study the effect of pitting corrosion on the upheaval buckling behavior of the pipeline. A corroded pipeline model with randomly distributed pitting corrosion is utilized to captures the intricate realities of corrosion scenarios. Multiple corrosion models with distinct artificial patterns have been meticulously crafted. Additionally, a new pipeline element based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory is extended considering corroded sections, pipe-soil interactions, axial load, initial imperfections, and other major factors. Moreover, the bearing capacity, vertical deformation and section stress of the pipeline under corrosion is discussed thoroughly, wherein a Newton- Raphson typed numerical analysis procedure is utilized for nonlinear analysis of the upheaval buckling of pipelines. The influence of corrosion parameters such as the corrosion depth, corrosion ratio and area loss ratio on mechanical properties of the submarine pipelines is further analyzed in detail. It’s indicated that varying patterns of corrosion distribution, despite exhibiting identical corrosion parameters, can result in distinct reduction factors and vertical buckling displacements.