Chapter 6: Conclusion

Early in the study, Co-Chair Frank Danchetz told one of the host audiences that the scanning team hoped to gather "nuggets of information" during its visits to three of the leading countries in pavement preservation and to develop strategies to put this information to use in the United States. As the study progressed, team members realized that many of the pavement preservation strategies and best practices used with great success by the host countries are already in place, to some degree, in the United States.

Each country visited recognizes the systematic method of programming, funding, and placing preventive maintenance treatments as the most successful strategy for pavement preservation. The need to apply the right treatment to the right roadway at the right time came up on several occasions during the study. Many of the agencies deal with the same barriers facing AASHTO's member States, including dedicated funding, public and management perception, and data management. In retrospect, although the scanning team uncovered no major nuggets of information, it determined from its international observations that pavement preservation in the United States is headed in the right direction.

Chapter Four includes several recommendations that team members believe have potential for implementation in the United States. The true value of the study will be the extent to which these recommendations are shared, evaluated, and, as appropriate, put into place. The challenge is to find champions to carry the torch forward.