Center for Transportation Research and Education

About the research

Success of pavement preservation depends upon which distresses require proper mitigation. While more robust rehabilitation or reconstruction methods have been proven to eliminate severe pavement defects, they are unlikely to remain the most cost-effective. The key challenge for preservation programs comes from budget and personnel shortages, and without an accurate understanding of local preservation performance, the success of a program in unlikely.

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has invested in the collection of pavement information, storing it in its own pavement management information system. Combined with construction records, this database can be utilized to extract relevant performance data for various preservation methods. By compiling construction and performance data in one place, effective preservation strategies and cost-effectiveness can be objectively evaluated based on observed performance.