Managers of sewer systems are faced with their infrastructure system ageing. Even when they are conscious about the needs of maintenance to keep the system in a good condition, they lack efficient methods and tools that may help them in taking appropriate decisions. One can say that no really satisfactory and efficient tool exists, enabling the optimization of Inspection, Maintenance, or Rehabilitation (IMR) strategies on such systems.
Sewer managers and researchers have been involved for many years in the French National Research Project for Renewal of Non Man Entry Sewer System (RERAURéhabilitation des Réseaux d'Assainissement Urbains, inFrench) to improve their knowledge of these systems and the management policies. During the RERAU project, a specific action has been dedicated to the modeling of asset ageing and maintenance. A special attention has been dedicated to the description of defects and dysfunctions, to the evaluation of performances and its modeling, accounting for its various dimensions (from the point of view of the manager, of the user, of the environment. . .). After having defined an