The Pavements Notebook and the Materials Notebook, developed over numerous years, are a compilations of pavements and materials policy statements, technical guidance, directives, guide specifications, summaries of best practices, and technical project summaries. These documents are the fundamental historic knowledge base should be updated and maintained to reflected current policy and technology, accurate technical information and be readily accessible to highway industry customers. As a result pavement smoothness became a performance measure for the FHWA strategic Plan. The HPMS data reported in 1999 indicates that 91.7 percent of the NHS meets this goal.
Research shows that pavements built smoother stay smoother longer.
Additionally, in response to a GAO report on consistency and reliability of IRI data submitted to HPMS, FHWA will develop and conduct a review on roughness data collection methods and practices and work with states to improve roughness data reported. Develop and implement programs and activities to encourage the implementation of Superpave to the State DOT's. Sufficient staff time at Resource Centers and Division Offices to promote Superpave. The FHWA strategic goal of Productivity, contains a performance goal of reducing the life cycle cost per lane kilometer of new and reconstructed highways by FY2008. One technique for reducing life cycle costs and improving network pavement smoothness is to achieve improved life cycle performance by optimizing pavement design and rehabilitation.