Performance Indicators and Multicriteria Decision Support for Sewer Asset Management

Abstract

A methodology is proposed for the development of decision criteria for sewer asset management. Six principles have been established and applied. (1) Criteria are developed for supporting the definition of investigation programs and rehabilitation programs. (2) Criteria are calculated from complementary performance indicators (PIs) relating to defects, dysfunctions or impacts. (3) PIs may be assessed by observation, by estimation, or by combination of other PIs. (4) PIs refer to individual assets or to subsystems. (5) Relationships between PIs can be described by qualitative models. (6) Each criterion is assessing a contribution of a dysfunction of a sewer segment to an impact. The implementation of these principles consists of four steps. (1) Setting up typologies for defects, dysfunctions and impacts. (2) Deriving indicators for defects, dysfunctions and impacts. (3) Combining dysfunction and impact indicators into decision criteria. (4) Using criteria for planning actions. The evaluation of indicators based on visual inspection results is focused on. The methodology provides a rational framework for supporting asset management in organizing all potentially available information into a comprehensive set of PIs and decision criteria.