Non-Uniform Corrosion Monitoring of Steel Pipes Using Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors in the Fluctuation Zone of a Coastal Wharf

Steel pipes, while essential for modern infrastructure due to their high strength and load-bearing capacity, are prone to corrosion in the marine environment, leading to material degradation, compromised structural integrity, and elevated safety risks and economic losses. In this study, distributed fiber-optic sensors were deployed on steel pipe surfaces to monitor corrosion in the splash zone (a region particularly vulnerable to cyclic wet-dry conditions). The sensors were engineered to withstand aggressive marine exposure. Strain variations induced by expansive corrosion products were detected via the fiber-optic array and used to calculate localized mass loss. Color-coded corrosion severity maps were generated to visualize the non-uniform corrosion distribution. Experimental results demonstrate that sensor-derived mass loss values align with 3D laser scanning measurements, validating the operational efficacy of distributed fiber-optic sensing for marine corrosion monitoring. This approach provides quantitative insights into the field applicability of optical sensing in structural health monitoring.