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

Husam H. Hussein, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE1; Shad M. Sargand, Ph.D., M.ASCE2;

Issam Khoury, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE3; and Fouad T. Al Rikabi, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE4
1
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Stocker Center, Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (corresponding author).
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4657-2499. Email: hh236310@ohio.edu;
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husam.hussein@outlook.com
2
Russ Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Stocker Center, Ohio Univ., Athens, OH. ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1633-1045. Email: sargand@ohio.edu
3
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Ohio Univ., Athens, OH. ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4856-7535. Email: khoury@ohio.edu
4
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Ohio Univ., Athens, OH. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-
4150-4622. Email: fouad.alrikabi@outlook.com

ABSTRACT

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.

INTRODUCTION

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 (Sargand et al., 2018). In many
cases, these aging drainage structures have significant degrees of metal loss over their inverts due
to the conveyance of abrasive surface water, which can be acidic in some regions. However, there
is not yet any guidance or specification on the design of concrete poured in the culverts for
rehabilitation. The development of the finite element analysis has improved the culvert assessment
technique (El-Sawy, 2003). Several parameters have been considered to evaluate the performance

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of the existing culvert and pipes, geometry, material, construction sequences, and burial condition.
However, there is very limited consideration of the deterioration, representing a high percentage
of the infrastructure investment. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of corrosion on
the overall performance of corrugated steel culverts (Bushman and Blonska 1988; Stratton et al.,
1989; Alexander et al., 1994; Mai et al., 2014; Masada, 2017; Shaurav et al., 2014). The losses in
the wall thickness at the lower part of the culvert were considered. Changes in the factor of safety
against yield are assessed as corrosion develops, as the change in culvert resistance to buckling
failure. It was found that the stability and the factor of safety against yield decrease proportionally
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with the reduction in the wall thickness (when maximum wall thrust within the corroded zone was
considered). This decrease in the culvert stability and factor of safety against yield occurs due to
the changes at the moment and thrust distribution, associated with local loss in the wall thickness.
The theoretical analysis presented in this study offers a guide for future research and field testing.
Three design parameters were considered to investigate the effect of the corrosion, burial depth,
and staged construction on the culvert performance. The numerical analysis was performed using
the finite element packages CANDE and ABAQUS (El-Taher and Moore, 2008; Mai and Moore,
2012).
The numerical analysis results were compared to those from the proposed and current design
methods to identify the most conservative approach estimating the thrust forces for the sound and
corroded culverts (Mai and Moore, 2012). Simple ring compression theory (springline thrust equal
to half the soil prism load) produced thrusts that were 42%, 16%, and 7% lower than those based
on “staged construction” finite element analysis for the 4m diameter example culvert buried 1.5m,
3m, and 10m respectively. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO), Canadian, and proposed design equations were lower than the finite element
results by 46%, 22% and 24% respectively for 4m diameter culvert at 1.5m, 3m, and 10m burial
depth, and with 12.5% wall thickness remaining. On the other hand, the thrust forces obtained
using CANDE were slightly lower than those obtained by ABAQUS. Thus, CANDE can be used
to estimate the thrust forces after corrosion as these numbers are more conservative compared to
those obtained by ABAQUS.
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, Ohio selected for
replacement based on its level of corrosion. 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.

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM

A structural steel plate pipe arch culvert located on Coopermill Road in Muskingum County,
Ohio was planned for replacement due to significant invert loss (Sargand et al., 2018). Prior to
replacement, a concrete invert paving was applied to approximately 25 ft of the length of the
culvert. Information and dimensions of the culvert are provided in Figure 1. The dimensions of the
corrugation are 6 in peak-to-peak, 2 in depth of valley, and 0.125 in wall thickness. Coopermill
Road passes over the culvert with a 30° skew angle. The outlet end of the culvert appears in Figure
1b; the ground cover at the crown was estimated to be 12 in. It was decided that before replacing
the culvert, the old culvert would be instrumented and loaded to failure to determine its ultimate
structural capacity. Furthermore, it was decided that concrete could be poured into the bottom of

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one half of the culvert (about 25 ft of its length) as a means of adding some strength, and that by
also instrumenting and loading that side, the performance enhancement of the concrete could be
determined as well. The approximate cross-section dimensions of the pour are given in Figure 1b.
More information regarding the culvert details can be found in Sargand et al. (2018).
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(a) (b)

Figure 1. (a) Culvert dimensions, and (b) cross-section concrete placed on invert (Source:
Sargand et al., 2018)

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Figure 2. (a) Profile view of culvert with instrumentation setup, (b) top view of load frame,
(c) Load frame, and (d) view under load frame showing skewed placement of hydraulic
cylinders (Source: Sargand et al., 2018)

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To measure the culvert response under the applied load (Sargand et al., 2018), strain gauges
and string potentiometers were installed on the pipe. Both halves of the culvert, the half with and
the half without invert paving, were instrumented and tested in the same way. The instrumentation
plan was based on the method of Sargand et al. (2015) and Sargand and Hazen (1990). The culvert
was instrumented on the load paths at locations close to the ends. The concrete invert paving was
added on the outlet half of the culvert. Two gauges were installed at crest. In the valley, the gauges
were placed parallel to the corrugation and the second perpendicular to corrugation. These gauges
were the crown, shoulder, and springline, to compute thrust force and bending moments. Load
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frame with installed instrumentations in culvert shown in Figure 2. More information regarding
the instrumentation details can be found in Sargand et al. (2018).

FINITE ELEMENT MODEL

The loaded culvert was modeled using ABAQUS, a three-dimensional FE analysis program to
provide a more accurate computation of the load response. Because the cover was very shallow
and the culvert was skew (not perpendicular) to the road, it was necessary to use the three-
dimensional program ABAQUS to obtain accurate FE model simulation results. A rendering of
the culvert in its surroundings is shown in Figure 3, including the road and the four points where
the load was applied (two points for each test) as small squares across the road following the crown
line of the culvert. Figure 3a shows the rendering with two points where the load was applied on
the untreated side marked in orange; other orange points around the perimeter of the rendering
show where boundary conditions were defined. Figure 3b shows a cross-section view of the culvert
including the division of the surrounding fill into four layers. The 3D mesh is shown in Figure 4a,
with a detailed view of the culvert cross-section in Figure 4b. The mesh in the steel culvert itself
is shown in Figure 4c, while Figure 4d shows a detail depicting how the mesh conforms to the
culvert’s corrugation.
The concrete-treated culvert was modeled using the same drawing and mesh as for the
untreated culvert, with the addition of the poured concrete in the bottom and the assumption of no
invert steel, other than a 4 in overlap on each end where the steel and concrete elements were tied.
The dimensions (from top of corrugation) of the concrete invert paving are shown in Figure 5 and
a length of 25 ft into one-half of the 53 ft length of the culvert. A cross-section view of the mesh
with the concrete is shown in Figure 5a, while Figure 5b shows the mesh for the concrete slab
itself. The concrete was modeled with an elastic modulus of 48 ksi and a Poisson’s ratio of 0.18.

(a) (b)

Figure 3. (a) Drawing of site as modeled by FE and (b) Layers of soil modeled in FE.

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(a) (b)
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(c) (d)

Figure 4. (a) FE model mesh superimposed on site drawing; (b) profile view of FE model
mesh; (c) FE model mesh of steel culvert; and (d) detail of steel culvert mesh showing
corrugation.

(a) (b)

Figure 5. (a) Profile view of FE model mesh including concrete treatment placed on invert;
(b) FE model mesh on concrete poured onto culvert invert.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

FE Model Results for Untreated Culvert

As an experiment, the corroded invert was modeled assuming a reduced modulus of 16E6 psi
on the invert and 27.5E6 psi on the upper portion. The computed displacements changed by up to
20%, not enough to significantly affect the results. Since there were not enough data available on
the actual material properties at the site, all the materials were assumed to have linear elastic
behavior in the FE model. The material properties used in the 3D FE are given in Table 1 (Petersen,
2010).
The culvert response to the initial 18-kip load on the untreated culvert was simulated in
ABAQUS and the results are shown in Figure 6a and 6b with deformations magnified by a factor
of 50, in comparison to the initial profile. The simulated deflection response is graphed and
compared to the field measurements in Figure 6. The responses are in general agreement, except

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at the leftmost sensor, at X= -46 in, the measured value reflects the previously observed
asymmetry. No attempt was made to incorporate it into the model, beyond the skewed alignment
of the hand-drawn mesh. This situation can also be seen for the 40 kip and 60-kip loads. For 40
kip load case, the deflections are shown in Figure7a and 7b, where the latter shows the deformed
culvert profile, with deformations magnified by a factor of 50, in comparison to the initial profile.
The simulated response is graphed and compared to the field measurements in Figure 7. For 60
kip load case, the deflections are shown in Figure 8a and 8b with deformations magnified by a
factor of 50, in comparison to the initial profile. The simulated response is graphed and compared
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to the field measurements in Figure 8.

Table 1. Material properties used in FE model.

Material Thickness (in) Modulus of elasticity (psi) Poisson’s ratio

Chip & seal pavement 0.5 10000 0.38
Soil Layer 1 12 500 0.4
Soil Layer 2 18 1500 0.29
Soil Layer 3 20 3000 0.24
Soil Layer 4 50 5500 0.23
Steel 0.125 27.5E6 0.3

0.6
FEM
0.4
EXP
Deflection (in)

0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-50 -30 -10 10 30 50
X-Coordinate (in)
(a) (b)

Figure 6. (a) Measured and FE model deflections of untreated culvert from 18-kip load,
and (b) FE model deflection, magnified by a factor of 50 in comparison with original
profile.

FE Model Results for Concrete-Treated Culvert

The culvert response to the initial 18-kip load on the concrete-treated culvert was simulated in
ABAQUS and the results are shown in the following figures. Figure 9a and 9b shows the minimum
(maximum) principal strains on the culvert.

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0.6
FEM
0.4
EXP
0.2
Deflection (in)

0.0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
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-50 -30 -10 10 30 50

X-Coordinate (in)
(a) (b)

Figure 7. (a) Measured and FE model deflections of untreated culvert from 40-kip load,
and (b) FE model deflection, magnified by factor of 50 in comparison with original profile.

0.6
FEM
0.4
EXP
0.2
Deflection (in)

0.0

-0.2

-0.4

-0.6

-0.8
-50 -30 -10 10 30 50
X-Coordinate (in)
(a) (b)

Figure 8. (a) Measured and FE model deflections of untreated culvert from 60-kip load,
and (b) FE model deflection, magnified by a factor of 50 in comparison with original
profile.

(a) (b)

Figure 9. (a) FE model minimum principal strain and (b) FE model maximum principal
strain from 18 kip load on concrete placed on culvert invert;

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The deflections of the culvert, magnified by a factor of 50, are shown in Figure 10a and 10b,
where the latter shows the deformed culvert profile in comparison to the initial profile. The
simulated deflection response is graphed and compared to the field measurements in Figure 10.
They are in general agreement. The stresses at the interface of the steel culvert and the poured
concrete treatment were not very large. For 40 kip load case, Figure 11a and 11b shows the
minimum (maximum) principal strains. The deflections, magnified by a factor of 50, are shown in
Figure 12a and 12b, where the latter shows the deformed culvert profile in comparison to the initial
profile. The simulated response is graphed and compared to the field measurements in Figure 12.
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0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
Deflection (in)

-0.05
-0.10
-0.15
-0.20
FEM
-0.25
-0.30 EXP
-0.35
-50 -30 -10 10 30 50
X-Coordinate (in)
(a) (b)
Figure 10. (a) Measured and FE model deflections of concrete-treated culvert from 18 kip
load, and (b) FE model deflection, magnified by a factor of 50 in comparison with original
profile.
For 60 kip load case, Figure 13a and 13b shows the minimum (maximum) principal strains.
The deflections, magnified by a factor of 50, are shown in Figure 20a and 20b, where the latter
shows the deformed culvert profile in comparison to the initial profile. The simulated response is
graphed and compared to the field measurements in Figure 14. This preliminary study indicated
that the three-dimensional FE model program could be utilized to develop a rational design
procedure, provided that it is validated with data from several culverts.

(a) (b)

Figure 11. (a) FE model minimum principal strain and (b) FE model maximum principal
strain from 40 kip load on concrete placed on culvert invert.

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CONCLUSIONS
Culvert MUS-C71-0022 under Coopermill Road near Zanesville in Muskingum County, Ohio
was selected for replacement based on its level of corrosion. Before replacement, concrete was
placed in the outlet half and cured in the invert. The culvert was fully instrumented on both treated
and untreated segments with strain gauges and string potentiometers to measure strains and
deflections with previously published experimental results by the authors. The culvert was
analyzed using FE modeling, ABAQUS program. The FE model was calibrated and validated with
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these experimental results. Based on the simulation results, the following can be concluded.
• The FE model results were in reasonable agreement with experimental measurements. This
agreement may have been enhanced by the materials undergoing many cyclic loadings
during the culvert’s service life.
• Despite the condition, the culvert supported a load considerably larger than the design limit
of 18 kips. The stresses at the interface of the steel culvert and the poured concrete
treatment were not very large.
• This preliminary study indicated that the three-dimensional FE model program could be
utilized to develop a rational design procedure. It is recommended that there is a need for
further study to understand and accommodate this in the design approach.
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
Deflection (in)

-0.05
-0.10
-0.15
-0.20
-0.25
-0.30
-0.35
-50 -30 -10 10 30 50
X-Coordinate (in)
(a) (b)
Figure 12. (a) Measured and FE model deflections of concrete-treated culvert from 40-kip
load, and (b) FE model deflection, magnified by factor of 50 in comparison with original
profile.

(a) (b)
Figure 13. (a) FE model minimum principal strain and (b) FE model maximum principal
strain from 60 kip load on concrete placed on culvert invert.

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0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
Deflection (in)

-0.05
-0.10
-0.15
-0.20 FEM
-0.25
EXP
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-0.30
-0.35
-50 -30 -10 10 30 50
X-Coordinate (in)
(a) (b)
Figure 14. (a) Measured and FE model deflections of concrete-treated culvert from 60-kip
load, (b) FE model deflection, magnified by a factor of 50 in comparison with original
profile.

REFERENCES

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examination of deteriorated and rehabilitated corrugated metal culverts subjected to service
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Alexander, J. A., T. C. Sandford, and A. Seshandri. (1994). Rehabilitation of large diameter steel
culverts. Augusta, ME: Maine Dept. of Transportation.
Bushman, J. B., and F. Blonska. (1988). Condition and corrosion survey on corrugated steel
storm sewer and culvert pipe: Second interim report. Washington, DC: National Corrugated
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El-Taher, M., andI. D. Moore. (2008). Finite element study of stability of corroded metal
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El-Sawy, K.M. (2003). “Three-dimensional modeling of soil-steel culverts under the effect of
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Mai, V. T., N. A. Hoult, and I. D. Moore. (2012). “Use of CANDE and design codes to assess
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Mai, V. T., N. A. Hoult, and I. D. Moore. (2014). “Effect of deterioration on performance of
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Masada, T. (2017). Structural benefits of concrete paving of steel culvert inverts. Rep. No.
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Petersen, D. L. (2010). Recommended design specifications for live load distribution to buried
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Sargand, S. M., and G. A. Hazen. (1990). Structural analysis of corrugated metal box-type
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Sargand, S. M., K. White, I. Khoury, H. Hussein, R. Mutashar, B. Jordan, and A. Russ. (2015).
Task 4–Validation of ODOT Shallow Cover Rating Factor Methodology for Metal Pipe &
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February 2015. Civil Engineering Dept., Ohio University, Athens, OH.
Shaurav, A., S. Sarkar, A. Steven, J. Pierce, E. Allouche, and R. McKim. (2014). “Experimental
examination of deteriorated and rehabilitated corrugated metal culverts subjected to service
load.” In Proc., Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting, Paper No. 14-5578.
Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board.
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