Texas flexible pavements overlays : review and analysis of existing databases.

Proper calibration of pavement design and rehabilitation performance models to conditions in Texas is essential for cost-effective flexible pavement design. The degree of excellence with which the Texas Department of Transportation 's (TxDOT’s) pavement design models is calibrated will determine how optimally literally billions of dollars of future roadway investment capital will be spent. The magnitude of benefits and consequences involved make this research project one of the more important research efforts the department has undertaken recently. Collection of quality and reliable pavement performance data on a sustained basis is the main goal of this project. Inevitably, this presents a perfect opportunity to calibrate and validate the current design methods and models for both flexible pavement and overlays. The calibration of these models to the Texas local conditions will result in pavement designs that are more economical in the long term and that have an increased likelihood of performing as expected.