Imperfect condition-based maintenance assessment on a finite time span

Abstract : This paper deals with a gradually deteriorating system which can be for example a large structure such as a bridge, a dike or a pipeline. A such system should be preventively maintained in order to avoid failures which would have disastrous consequences. A condition-based maintenance policy is then proposed considering a finite horizon. As preventive maintenance actions are assumed to be imperfect their impact on the system is determined through a monotone decreasing improvement function. The aim of this paper is to propose an inspection interval in order to numerically assess, on a finite time span, a condition-based maintenance policy.