The Practical Guide to Pavement Design for Tropical Countries, published in 1984 by CEBTP, is still a document to which reference is often made in French-speaking African countries.

Over the past thirty-five years, major developments have taken place in the pavement sector, particularly in the formulation of pavement materials and the design of pavement layers, while African countries are experiencing strong growth in heavy goods vehicle traffic, requiring the widespread use of pavements on the most travelled routes to support economic growth.

This report prepared by a joint PIARC/AGEPAR study group makes a set of recommendations for updating the 1984 guide and establishing new technical rules for pavement design for French-speaking countries in sub-Saharan Africa.