Report on the 1990 European Asphalt Study Tour

In mid-September 1990, a team of pavement specialists from the United States participated in a 2-week tour of six European nations. The team included representatives from the AASHTO, the FHWA, the NAPA, the SHRP, TAI, and the TRB. The full European Asphalt Study Tour (EAST) team visited, in order, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, while a subcommittee drawn from the AASHTO and the FHWA participants visited Italy.

The six nations have much in common with the United States. All are industrialized, have extensive highway and road systems, and rely increasingly on motor vehicles for moving people and freight. While the six nations have mature railroad networks that move large numbers of passengers and considerable freight, the number of motor vehicles and the use of trucks to move goods have grown constantly. All the nations visited have modern, capable highway agencies and a mature construction industry. Some also have extensive highway research facilities.

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