This paper describes a methodology to develop a digital twin of the buried assets of a complex plant environment by mapping the metallic surface area buried throughout the facility. This digital twin can be utilized to calculate the current required for cathodic protection of buried piping. On a broader scale, this system can be used to identify areas of a plant where buried metallic interferences may prevent new piping installation, complicate excavations, or generate heightened risk for grounding and electrical safety.

This methodology has been applied at various nuclear power plants where complex buried assets present challenges to modeling corrosion and piping integrity. This application employed the use of geographic information systems (GIS), computer aided design (CAD), and building information systems (BIM) to develop digital twins to support characterization and decommissioning of complex nuclear sites.

Subject
Electric current, Steel structures, Metallic piping, Piping, Modeling, Nuclear power, Piping systems, Cathodic protection, Cathodic current, Grounding, Metallic surfaces, Steel, Soil
Keywords:
Cathodic protection, digital twin, current requirement, buried piping network, complex facilities, grounding, grounded piping, bimetallic coupling, site digitization, power plants
© 2025 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. This work is protected by both domestic and international copyright laws. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2025
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.