Can I consider corrosion effects in sheet pile wall design with DeepEX?
- May 19
- 3 min read
Steel elements in retaining walls, such as sheet piles or soldier piles, are exposed to various environmental conditions that can lead to corrosion and gradual material loss over time. This deterioration reduces both the thickness and strength of the steel section, ultimately affecting the wall’s bending and axial capacity. Accounting for these effects during design is essential to ensure durability and long-term performance.
DeepEX provides built-in tools to include corrosion effects in the steel section design of sheet pile walls. Users can define the design life of the structure and select whether corrosion is expressed as a corrosion rate or a thickness loss rate. The software automatically applies the appropriate design method based on the active design code (e.g. EN, AASHTO, or AS).
When corrosion is considered, moment capacity and, in some cases, the effective wall thickness are reduced in the analysis results, providing a realistic assessment of long-term behaviour.
Step-by-Step procedure
The corrosion options in DeepEX are accessible when the Sheet Pile Wall section type is selected. Figure 1 shows the Steel Section Corrosion Options window, where you can define design life, corrosion parameters, and environmental exposure conditions.
1. Select the Wall Type:
In DeepEX, set the wall type to Sheet Pile Wall.
2. Open the Corrosion Options:
Go to the Design tab and click Steel Corrosion on the toolbar. This opens the Steel section Corrosion options window.
3. Enable Corrosion Consideration:
Tick “Examine design life” to activate the corrosion settings.
1. Set the Design Life:
Enter the intended design life (e.g. 50 years) to define the period over which corrosion will be considered.
2. Define Corrosion Parameters:
Choose whether to apply corrosion rates (cm/year) or thickness loss rates. DeepEX automatically applies the relevant design method based on the selected code (e.g. EN, AASHTO, AS).
3. Specify Environmental Conditions (Optional):
Define water levels and splash zone depths to represent realistic exposure conditions.
4. Apply Settings:
Select whether to apply the corrosion settings to all stages or a specific stage of construction.
5. Run the Design:
Execute the analysis. The software will adjust the moment capacity and, when relevant, wall thickness to reflect corrosion effects over time.
Once the analysis is completed, the results display the reduced bending moment capacity and section properties reflecting corrosion losses.
Tips and Good Practice
Link corrosion rates to site conditions:
Corrosion is highly dependent on the environment. For typical inland or mildly aggressive soils, standard corrosion rates are usually sufficient. However, for marine, tidal, or contaminated soils, higher rates should be considered.
Balance design life and corrosion allowance:
A longer design life means greater expected section loss. Defining an appropriate design life (e.g. 50 or 75 years) ensures that the structure remains serviceable throughout its lifespan without unnecessary overdesign.
Review reduced section properties:
Always check the reduced moment capacity and wall thickness reported in DeepEX. This ensures that even with corrosion, the wall maintains adequate safety margins and stiffness.
Integrate durability into early design decisions:
Considering corrosion from the start helps in selecting protective coatings, galvanisation, or thicker initial sections, rather than relying on later retrofitting or maintenance.
By linking corrosion modelling directly with the design code and environmental conditions, DeepEX enables engineers to produce durable, code-compliant, and realistic designs that reflect true long-term performance (Figure 2)
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