The project produced a pavement management guide that discusses technologies and processes pertaining to selection, collection, reporting, management, and analysis of data used in pavement management. The project also produced an executive summary of the contents of the guide; this summary provides an introduction to the concepts and principles of pavement management appropriate for senior management personnel and others who are not directly engaged in pavement management activities.

Most highway agencies are now engaged in the development, implementation, and operation of pavement management systems. The "Guidelines for Pavement Management Systems," published by AASHTO in July 1990, contains information needed for establishing a framework for a pavement management system. However, this document does not address the day-to-day issues encountered by pavement engineers or the issues associated with new and emerging technologies. Thus, there was a need to develop a comprehensive guide for pavement management that documents the state of the practice and identifies state-of-the-art technologies and processes applicable to pavement management systems. Such a guide was needed to help engineers effectively manage the investment in pavements and achieve the best possible value for the public dollar.

The research reviewed relevant domestic and foreign literature, research findings, and current practices relative to pavement management; identified the issues involved in the development, implementation, and operation of pavement management systems; and prepared a final report in two parts (i.e., a pavement management guide and an executive summary). The final report has been distributed to the members of the AASHTO Joint Task Force on Pavements and the AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Design and has been published as AASHTO Pavement Management Guide.