The need for information on how pavements perform over time came to the forefront in the early 1980s, as the deterioration of highways built two or three decades earlier became a concern for highway agencies. The mission to study performance data systematically all across the country and to promote extended pavement life was advanced by the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board (TRB), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).