Design considerations for pavement subsurface drainage in new or reconstructed jointed concrete pavements are outlined for all components of a permeable base system (permeable bases, separator layers, edge drains, and outlets). Discussion topics--including guidelines for determining drainage needs, permeable base system components, hydraulic design of permeable base systems, structural design of permeable bases and separator layers, and economic considerations for providing drainage--are arranged to provide a comprehensive picture of the subject area. For topics with established procedures, such as the hydraulic design of permeable bases, a synthesis of information is presented. Where there is a lack of information or a clear consensus among researchers on a topic, new ideas and concepts are proposed.