Assessment Framework for the Maintainability of Sewer Pipeline Systems

Abstract

The maintainability of sewer infrastructure systems is vital for public health, environmental protection, and the overall well-being of communities. However, maintenance and repair activities for sewer pipelines are often constrained, leading to challenges in effectively managing such infrastructures. To address these challenges, this study assessed the maintainability of sewer pipelines. A total of 15 defects were identified and categorized into structural, hydraulic, and quality defects after a comprehensive literature review was conducted and sewer pipeline experts were interviewed. Each failure caused by these defects was categorized as a pipe collapse associated with structural defects, sewer system overflow (SSO), odor, and groundwater contamination associated with quality defects. Apart from assessing the defects, the study identified potential solutions. After that, the obtained data were analyzed to determine the relative significance of each probability identified and its impact on four parameters, economic, social, environmental, and detection difficulty, using the relative importance index (RII), while the risk value index (RI) was applied to prioritize the defects. Furthermore, a data reliability assessment was utilized to evaluate internal consistency. The findings indicate that the probability of joint defects in the structural category caused by weaknesses in welded joints due to the misalignment of plastic pipes or joints, especially spigot and socket joints for rigid pipes, was the highest (RII = 0.733). Additionally, the ranking showed that the dumping of FOG had the highest priority, with an RI value of 0.535. This study offers a comprehensive maintainability framework that can be utilized by agencies assessing their current sewer infrastructure systems, in particular Arab Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, which is the subject of this study.