American Road Builders Association (ARBA)

American Road Builders Association (ARBA):

            This association is a nonprofit, noncommercial organization whose membership includes highway officials, engineers, teachers, equipment manufacturers and distributors, materials producers, and contractors. The association has a number of committees active in all branches of the highway filed. It publishes a series of technical bulletins; references to some of them will be found in this book.

Other Highway Associations:

            Numerous trade associations interested in promoting the use of their products are also active in the highway field. Typical of this group are the Asphalt Institute and the Portland Cement Association. Each of these organizations publishes magazines and technical bulletins and releases other data concerning its products. Many have filed engineers located strategically over the country. Much reliable and useful information can be gained from these sources. Certain individual manufacturers, such as those for corrugated-metal pipe, are also active in similar manner.

Another group of associations includes those having special areas of interest in highway transportation. For example, the National Safety Council is concerned with highway-accidents. Among its functions are the collection and distribution of highway-accident data. The Highway users Federation for Safety and Mobility, supported by the automotive, oil, and trucking industries, have fostered research and education toward safe and efficient highway transportation. The Federation’s interests also include highway administration and planning, and it has made significant studies in both fields. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has particularly emphasized vehicle-crash resistance and occupant protection. The Eno foundation for Transportation, Saugatuck, Conn., among other activities, publishes the excellent periodical Traffic Quarterly.  

There are also associations whose concern is highway transportation in general. Representative of these are the American Automobile Association and the American trucking Association. Most of these also publish magazines or bulletins.

University and College Activities:

            Most engineering colleges have specialists in highway engineering on their teaching staffs and offer undergraduate courses in the subject. Some of them also offer graduate programs and provide extension courses, in-service training, and special conferences in the highway field. In addition, many universities conduct research on highway problems, often with the cooperation and financial support of highway agencies or other interested sponsors.