Pavement Management

The Pavement Management Group, located in FHWA's Office of Asset Management, is responsible for providing technical and program assistance to State highway departments, FHWA field offices, and other partners working in the pavement management field. The group works directly with States, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and others in advancing research and the state-of-the-art in pavement management systems.

Reports

• Pavement Management Systems Peer Exchange Program Report
  The funding situation for transportation agencies is not expected to improve in the next several years, forcing agencies to clearly identify investment priorities. As a result, many transportation agencies have instated or are considering asset management as a strategic approach for managing their highway infrastructure. Some of these agencies are taking actions that are directly related to asset management principles, such as shifting funds away from large expansion projects and focusing available funding on the preservation of existing assets. The implementation of costeffective strategies, such as the use of preventive maintenance treatments on roads and highways in good condition, are becoming increasingly important to make the best use of the available funds by slowing down the rate of pavement deterioration and postponing the need for more costly improvements.

• Use of PMS Data for Performance Monitoring with Superpave as an Example
  The objective of this project was to examine how existing pavement management data and materials related data in various state DOTs can be used to evaluate the performance of new materials and concepts and to validate new design methods. In particular, Superpave is used as an ideal example and is carefully examined. This study is not big enough or long enough to evaluate or validate Superpave per se. Rather we examine the process and obtain consensus on what data states would need to collect to adequately evaluate Superpave. Similar studies could be done for any other new design or materials concept such as the 2002 Pavement Design Guide. No evaluation or judgment is made about Superpave, rather the concepts and details of using pavement management and related data are clearly illustrated.

Program Areas

• Program Support - The group provides technical assistance and information sharing to States and other practitioners in the field of pavement management. Current activities include Demonstration Project 108a on Multiyear Prioritization, Demonstration Project 108b on Engineering Applications of Pavement Management Data, and updating the pavement management software catalog.

• Participation in National Efforts - FHWA is an active participant with several national transportation organizations, including AASHTO, Transportation Research Board (TRB), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and others. The pavement management group represents the agency in activities related to pavement management systems. Some of the ongoing efforts include the AASHTO provisional standards for measuring pavement smoothness, faulting, and cracking. The group also participates in numerous workshops and conferences promoting the use of management systems.

• Research and Development - The Pavement Management Group conducts and supports studies of emerging methods and technologies in the measurement and use of network level pavement data. Current activities include developing methods of analyzing pavement performance from pavement management data and exploring the relationship between preventive maintenance and pavement management data. The group is an active participant in the research leading to the development of a rolling wheel deflectometer.

For a more in-depth look at pavement management, see the Pavement Management Primer (pdf, 11 kb (To view PDF files, you need the Acrobat® Reader®)).