Subsurface drainage is known to pavement professionals to be an important factor affecting pavement performance and preservation of public investment, and numerous studies have emphasized its importance.

The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Synthesis 579: Subsurface Drainage Practices in Pavement Design, Construction, and Maintenance documents the current state of practice by departments of transportation (DOTs) for subsurface drainage, which is not always considered as a critical component when it comes to design, construction, and maintenance of pavement.