Simulation-Guided Cathodic Protection Design under Soil and Coating Uncertainty: toward an Educational and Adaptive Tool

Abstract Effective cathodic protection (CP) design must account for spatial and temporal variability in soil resistivity and coating condition, both of which critically influence protection performance. However, current practices often overlook site variability, particularly variation of soil temperature and moisture driven by climatic factor change, which alter soil electrical properties and result in inappropriate cathodic protection design. To address this gap, this study develops a simulation-driven framework based on an extended transmission line model (LTM) to replicate Close Interval Potential Survey (CIPS) responses. Within this framework, users can customize site and pipeline parameters, design protection scenarios, and obtain simulated CIPS observations. The model supports sensitivity analyses and evaluates environmental impacts on CP design and CIPS monitoring, thereby guiding adaptive rectifier control strategies and providing complementary explanations for the CIPS monitoring. Furthermore, the framework can work as an interactive training tool, where users can visualize potential distributions under customized soil and coating conditions, explore simulated CIPS responses, and experiment with rectifier settings. By linking spatial and temporal site variability with field-applicable CP metrics, the framework provides both a research testbed and an education resource for CP design and CIPS method.