|Research Home | Pavements Home| |This report is an archived
publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link
information| Publication Number: FHWA-RD-98-085 From the
public's perspective, the most important basic purpose of a
roadway pavement is to provide a smooth safe ride. For a
pavement to accomplish this purpose it must be durable, and it
is the responsibility of pavement engineers to ensure that
pavements are designed and constructed in such a way that they
achieve this durability. Pavement researchers are continually
looking for ways that will allow engineers to design and
construct pavements that provide a smooth safe ride for the
longest amount of time and for the least cost. Pavements
historically have been constructed from a combination of locally
available natural materials, including natural soils, select
soils such as natural gravel, and processed material such as
quarried stone. Pavements are constructed in layers with the
weaker or least durable materials at the bottom and the s