SUSTAINING THE INFRASTRUCTURE BY UNDERSTANDING REPLACEMENT NEEDS

INTRODUCTION For many public utilities, sustaining the infrastructure is at the heart of asset management. However, it is often difficult to define the replacement and refurbishment (R&R) needs of the infrastructure over the time required—typically twenty to fifty years. As a result, governing boards cannot formulate or communicate to their constituents the long-term funding policies necessary to sustain the performance of the infrastructure well into the future.This paper addresses both issues—understanding future R&R needs and formulating funding policies to deal with these needs.