Developing a Web Interface for Pipe Deterioration Models

Pipeline infrastructure is critical to energy transportation and urban utility systems, yet aging pipelines are increasingly vulnerable to corrosion, material degradation, and environmental damage. Traditional integrity assessment relies on periodic inspection and offline analysis, providing only discrete snapshots of system condition and failing to capture the continuous, uncertain evolution of deterioration, leaving maintenance and risk-mitigation decisions reactive rather than predictive. This project develops a dynamic probabilistic deterioration model and an interactive web-based decision-support interface. The predictive engine is a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) constructed in the GeNIe modeling environment, mapping causal dependencies among pipeline condition factors (coating degradation, soil corrosivity, operating parameters) and defining time-slice transitions to capture corrosion evolution. Conditional probability tables are parameterized from historical inspection records, empirical corrosion models, and structured expert elicitation. The DBN is exported and embedded in a backend inference module that applies Bayesian updating to user inputs and computes posterior risk probabilities in real time. An interactive frontend translates the probabilistic forecasts into intuitive time-series risk curves and visual dashboards supporting 'what-if' scenario analyses. The result is a fully functional web-based framework bridging probabilistic engineering modeling and practical pipeline integrity management. Operators and field engineers can integrate inspection data, simulate risk trajectories, forecast deterioration trends, optimize maintenance schedules, and mitigate corrosion risk before structural failures occur — shifting asset management from reactive to proactive, reducing costly emergency repairs, extending infrastructure lifespan, and mitigating risks to public safety and ecological health. Deliverables include the calibrated DBN model, open-source web interface code, implementation guidelines, a technical report, and peer-reviewed publication.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $150,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348323

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Howard University

  2400 6th Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20059
• Project Managers:

  Bruner, Britain

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Maryland, College Park

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  College Park, MD  United States  20742
• Principal Investigators:

  Attoh-Okine, Nii

• Start Date: 20260803
• Expected Completion Date: 20270504
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decision support systems; Deterioration; Pipelines; Probability; Risk management; Web applications
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Maintenance and Preservation; Pipelines; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01999936
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Research and Education for Promoting Safety (REPS) University Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348323
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 19 2026 4:19PM