C O N T E N T S - Physical Land Resources - Vrije Universiteit Brussel

elsewhere in this activity report). Also, there will be cooperation with VITO, morespecifically with projects that deal with hyperspectral remote sensing of the Scheldt.T. Palmans and O. BatelaanSewer Deterioration ModellingThis research study focuses on finding the most suitable sewer deterioration model aspart of the larger effort to improve the sewer asset management procedure Hydroplan. Adeterioration prediction model is considered a crucial component in the success of sewerasset management systems as this model provides the possibility of predicting thestructure’s future performance and deterioration. This type of information is helpful inoptimizing management related activities, such as CCTV inspections, repair andrehabilitation programs. The process of sewer deterioration is considered complicated, asit is affected by an extensive number of factors. Part of this research is the determinationof the important factors that primarily affects sewer deterioration behaviour. The bulk ofthe research is centred on the application and comparison of the different probabilisticsewer deterioration models. The aim of which is to identify the best deterioration model.The models are tested using routinely collected sewer condition data by municipalutilities. Some preliminary result of the research was presented during the 2nd LeadingEdge Conference on Strategic Asset Management, on 17-19 October 2007, in Lisbon(Portugal).E.V. Ana, Jr., W. Bauwens, and AquafinTraceability of Environmental Chemical Analyses: Can TheoryMatch Practice?According to the ISO definition, the traceability concept basically implies thatmeasurement data are linked to stated references through an unbroken chain ofcomparisons, all with stated uncertainties. This concept may be quite clear in theory, butwe may wonder how it may be applicable to complex chemical measurements such asenvironmental chemical analyses in practice. This paper discusses this issue, giving someexamples of drawbacks that are being faced in different environmental sectors (water,sediment, soil, biota and particulate atmospheric samples).P. Quevauviller- 55 -