A comprehensive review of influential factors and predictive techniques of time to failure for sewer pipes

Abstract

Sewer pipes are vital to urban infrastructure, playing a crucial role in environmental protection and enhancing urban resilience. Their failure results in significant environmental damage and asset management costs. Therefore, employing proactive prediction and timely interventions is critical to mitigate these effects. This review systematically scrutinizes literature from 2000 to 2024, employing scientometric analysis, and systematic review. It aims to pinpoint the factors influencing sewer pipe longevity, evaluate the predictive tools available for forecasting failure time, and identify research gaps as well as areas insufficiently explored by existing studies. The scientometric analysis suggests a growing focus on sewer pipe failure. Systematic review findings reveal a multifaceted understanding of the factors influencing sewer pipe durability, with some well-established and others contentious, leading to ongoing debates. Additionally, the review reveals that predictive models for sewer pipe lifespan are still in the early stages, focusing primarily on concrete and PVC pipes. The insights from this research help illuminate the failure mechanisms of sewer pipes and aid in the advancement of predictive maintenance approaches. Such advancements are essential for improving hazard detection and optimizing resource management within urban sewer networks.