The Local Highway Technical Assistance Program has received a lot of request for this manual.

Did you know the Revised May 2014 copy is available to download online? Click HERE

There is also a mobile app. Click HERE

From the Foreword of the Guide:

The Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program has provided a wide variety of benefits related to field data collection equipment and procedures. It is estimated that 90 percent of State highway agencies use LTPP data collection equipment or test methods. Numerous LTPP data collection procedures have been adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and industry, with the most widely implemented being this Distress Identification Manual for the Long-Term Pavement Performance Program (DIM) with thousands of requests for copies of the DIM being fulfilled. First issued in 1987, the DIM was developed to provide a consistent, uniform basis for collecting pavement distress data for the LTPP program. It has now been updated to this 5th edition.

The DIM provides a common language for describing cracks, potholes, rutting, spalling, and other pavement distresses being monitored by the LTPP program. Highway agencies at all levels of government can and are using the DIM to standardize pavement condition data collection, produce consistent pavement condition ratings, and train their pavement managers in data collection procedures. Implementation of the DIM enables highway agencies to collect data on roads without spending valuable resources developing their own nomenclature, definitions, severity levels, and measurement methods. It also allows a common understanding among practitioners of the definition of pavement distress features.

The manual is divided into three sections, each focusing on a particular type of pavement: (1) asphalt concrete-surfaced, (2) jointed portland cement concrete (PCC), and (3) continuously reinforced PCC. Each distress is clearly labeled, described, and illustrated.

Mobile App

LTPP InfoPave Mobile, a LTPP InfoPave (infopave.fhwa.dot.gov) companion application, provides fast and easy means of mapping the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) test sections. It provides visual navigation using GIS map. It offers advanced section selection capability and detailed section information. Other features include LTPP program announcements and easy access to the LTPP Distress Identification Manual.

LTPP InfoPave Mobile App is available on multiple mobile platforms.

https://infopave.fhwa.dot.gov/Page/Index/LTPP_INFOPAVE_MOBILE