The Federal Highway Research Institute
Germany has a network of modern, safe roads. An increasing number of haulage companies from all over Europe is using this infrastructure for cross-border transportation. Studies predict that road traffic and in particular freight traffic will increase considerably over the coming few years.
This development is a challenge to politicians and to society in general. In order to ensure mobility it is essential to develop new ideas and new concepts – also on an international level. The traffic system must be efficient in order to remain integral. Here, it is necessary to reduce environmental stress by means of appropriate technologies and building materials, and further improve traffic safety.
The Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) creates the basis to achieve all of this. It is a technical and scientific institute under the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS). It provides the ministry with scientifically-backed decision aids for technical and traffic-related issues and plays a significant role in drawing up regulations and standards.
At its testing plants, the Federal Highway Research Institute conducts its own research on issues of special significance. Its tasks include consulting services and assessment reports. The Federal Highway Research Institute also evaluates the quality of services and products. For this purpose, it performs accreditation, testing, issues approvals and holds training courses.
Most of the Federal Highway Research Institute's areas of work involve cooperation with other research agencies, particularly institutes associated with universities and colleges. Work here is oriented towards defined objectives.
Research Aims
- Improvement in the efficiency of road construction and maintenance
- Improvement in the efficiency of the construction and maintenance of bridges and civil engineering structures
- Road safety improvement
- Improvement in road use efficiency
- Environmentally-friendly building methods, reduction in pollution
- Reduction in vehicle-related energy consumption and environmental pollution and the use of new sources of energy and alternative drive concepts
The role of the road network within the overall transport system
