An investigation on the degradation of the Mechanical Properties of Mild Steel Pipeline in Simulated Soil and Tap Water Environments sourced from Bishoftu Town, Ethiopia

Corrosion of mild steel pipelines is a primary threat to water infrastructure integrity in Ethiopia, yet data on how local environmental conditions affect material strength is scarce. This study provides the first quantitative link between specific corrosive media from Bishoftu, Ethiopia, and the resulting degradation of pipeline steel's mechanical properties. Standard mild steel specimens were immersed for 720 hours in three environments: tap water from the Bishoftu municipal supply, simulated external soil, and simulated internal soil sediment, with soil chemistry based on local analysis. Corrosion rates were calculated via the weight loss method (ASTM G1), and the change in ultimate tensile and compressive strength was measured. Bishoftu tap water proved to be the most aggressive medium, yielding a corrosion rate of 0.138 mm/year, significantly higher than that of external soil (0.114 mm/year) and internal soil sediment (0.091 mm/year). This corrosive attack directly led to a substantial loss of mechanical integrity, with compressive strength reduced by up to 11.3% and tensile strength by 8.9% in the tap water environment. These findings offer a critical, region-specific dataset that directly correlates environmental corrosivity with mechanical failure potential. This work provides an essential tool for developing predictive maintenance strategies and more accurate service life assessments for critical water pipelines in Ethiopia and geologically similar regions. Clinical trial Study registration details: Not applicable.