ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the relevant principles and practical concepts of pavement engineering for both students and currently practicing engineers. The most important function of the pavement is to withstand the load applied from a vehicle such as a truck or an aircraft, without deforming excessively. In the United States, there are about 4 million miles of roads, of which approximately 2.5 million are paved. The federal government and state departments of transportation (DOTs) spend a significant portion of their budget on maintaining and managing existing pavements and rehabilitating old pavements. Research on pavements is conducted by industry and government organizations all over the world. In the United States, pavement research is conducted at local, state, and federal levels. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), which brings together the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), FHWA, US Department of Transportation (USDOT), and National Academies, is the primary sponsor of national-level pavement research in the United States.
