COST 354 - performance indicators for road pavements

In 2004 the COST-action 354 "Performance Indicators for Road Pavements" was initiated by the European intergovernmental scientific network COST with the main objective to define uniform European performance indicators and indices for road pavements. The specification of performance criteria from the perspective of road users and road operators is a key prerequisite for the efficient maintenance and management of road pavements. The extent to which goals are reached or performance criteria satisfied can be quantified by calculating special indicators or indices characterizing the road pavement, which in turn permits an assessment of the efficiency of certain approaches from both a commercial and a macro-economic standpoint. In the context of the action single indicators as well as combined indicators are defined for different road networks and pavements taking into consideration functional and structural demands of road pavements as well as demands from the environmental point of view. These performance indicators should build the basis for the economic evaluation within pavement management systems and public private partnership contracts. Meanwhile 23 European countries and the FHWA/USA have joined the action, which will be finished in 2008. For the covering abstract see ITRD E144473.