RPC understanding and future perspectives

The understanding of the long-term behavior of the RPCs developed as dedicated muon trigger detectors at LHC and presently in construction, is analyzed. The main aging mechanisms are reviewed. The gas contamination by the hydrofluoric acid is analyzed as a possible aging cause and a method for measuring the fluorine concentration in the exhaust gas is described. Finally, the use of RPCs for the detection of Cosmic Ray Extensive Air Showers and their imaging capabilities are briefly discussed.