American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

{{Short description|Transportation association}} {{more citations needed|date=March 2021}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox organization | name = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials | image = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials logo.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert-image | image_alt = Logo of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials | abbreviation = AASHTO | formation = {{start date and age|1914|12|12}} | type = Non-governmental organization | status = 501(c)(3)<ref name= irseos>{{cite web |url = https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/displayAll.do?dispatchMethod=displayAllInfo&Id=690234&ein=530204654&country=US&deductibility=all&dispatchMethod=searchAll&isDescending=false&city=&ein1=53-0204654&postDateFrom=&exemptTypeCode=al&submitName=Search&sortColumn=orgName&totalResults=1&names=&resultsPerPage=25&indexOfFirstRow=0&postDateTo=&state=All+States |title = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |website = Tax Exempt Organization Search |publisher = Internal Revenue Service |access-date = December 15, 2018 }}</ref><ref name= 990-2016>{{cite web |last = Wright |first = Frederick |date = April 10, 2018 |url = https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2017/530/204/2017-530204654-0f01324b-9.pdf |title = Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax |publisher = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |via = Guidestar |access-date = December 17, 2018 }}</ref> | purpose = Coordination among state departments of transportation | headquarters = 555 12th Street NW, Suite 1000<br/>Washington, D.C. 20004 | region_served = United States | affiliations = 50 state departments of transportation and in District of Columbia and Puerto Rico | tax_id = 53-0204654 | revenue = $88.86 million<ref name="Association 990 filing">{{cite web | url=https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2019/530/204/2019-530204654-202020449349301002-9.pdf?_gl=1*1ajqf05*_ga*MTQyMTg0NzI5Mi4xNjE1Njc5NTYx*_ga_0H865XH5JK*MTYxNTY3OTU2MS4xLjEuMTYxNTY3OTYzNS4w*_ga_5W8PXYYGBX*MTYxNTY3OTU2MS4xLjEuMTYxNTY3OTYzNS4w&_ga=2.46193825.767853725.1615679561-1421847292.1615679561 | title=Association 990 filing}}</ref> | revenue_year = 2019 | expenses = $81.58 million<ref name="Association 990 filing">{{cite web | url=https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2019/530/204/2019-530204654-202020449349301002-9.pdf?_gl=1*1ajqf05*_ga*MTQyMTg0NzI5Mi4xNjE1Njc5NTYx*_ga_0H865XH5JK*MTYxNTY3OTU2MS4xLjEuMTYxNTY3OTYzNS4w*_ga_5W8PXYYGBX*MTYxNTY3OTU2MS4xLjEuMTYxNTY3OTYzNS4w&_ga=2.46193825.767853725.1615679561-1421847292.1615679561 | title=Association 990 filing}}</ref> | expenses_year = 2019 | num_employees = 134<ref name= 990-2016/> | num_employees_year = 2016 | num_volunteers = 150<ref name= 990-2016/> | num_volunteers_year = 2016 | leader_name = Jim Tymon<ref name=board /> | leader_title = Executive Director | leader_name2 = Russell McMurry, GDOT<ref name=board>{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://transportation.org/committees/executive-committee/|website=transportation.org |publisher=AASHTO |access-date=March 20, 2024}}</ref> | leader_title2 = President | leader_name3 = Marc Williams, TxDOT<ref name=board /> | leader_title3 = Vice President | leader_name4 = Justin Powell, SCDOT<ref name=board /> | leader_title4 = Treasurer | former_name = American Association of State Highway Officials | website = {{official URL|https://www.transportation.org/}} }}

The '''American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials''' ('''AASHTO''') is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States. Despite its name, the association represents not only highways but air, rail, water, and public transportation as well.<ref name="organization">{{cite web |author= American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |title= Organization |url= http://www.transportation.org/Pages/Organization.aspx |publisher= American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date= March 30, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160404060148/http://www.transportation.org/pages/organization.aspx |archive-date= April 4, 2016 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref>

Although AASHTO sets transportation standards and policy for the United States as a whole, AASHTO is not an agency of the federal government; rather it is an organization of the states themselves. Policies of AASHTO are not federal laws or policies, but rather are ways to coordinate state laws and policies in the field of transportation.<ref name="Weingroff">{{cite journal |last1=Weingroff |first1=Richard F. |title=Celebrating A Century of Cooperation |journal=Public Roads |date=September–October 2014 |volume=78 |issue=2 |url=https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/septemberoctober-2014/celebrating-century-cooperation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427063915/https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/septemberoctober-2014/celebrating-century-cooperation |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>{{Dubious|U.S. constitutional law on interstate compacts|date=December 2022}}

== Purpose == The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) was founded on December 12, 1914.<ref name="Weingroff" /> Its name was changed to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on November 13, 1973. The name change reflects a broadened scope to cover all modes of transportation, although most of its activities are still specific to highways.

While AASHTO is not a government body, it does possess quasi-governmental powers in the sense that the organizations that supply its members customarily obey most AASHTO decisions.

== Membership == The voting membership of AASHTO consists of the department of transportation of each state in the United States, as well as those of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

The United States Department of Transportation has a non-voting associate membership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Membership State by State |url=https://transportation.org/meetings/membership-state-by-state/ |access-date=August 8, 2024 |website=AASHTO Meetings and Member Services |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Publications == Some noteworthy AASHTO publications are:<ref name="bookstore">{{cite web |author= American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |title= Bookstore |url= https://bookstore.transportation.org/ |publisher= American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date=March 30, 2016}}</ref> * ''A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets'', often called "The Green Book" because of the color of its cover. This book covers the functional design of roads and highways including such things as the layout of intersections, horizontal curves, and vertical curves. * ''Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing''. * ''AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications''. This manual is the base bridge design manual that all DOTs use across the US. * ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20141225125412/http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/policy_guide/road_hardware/ctrmeasures/mash/ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware]'' (MASH), crash testing criteria for safety hardware devices for use on highways; it updates and replaces NCHRP [http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/160283.aspx Report 350].

In addition to its publications, AASHTO performs or cooperates in research projects. One such project is the AASHO Road Test, which is a primary source of data used when considering transport policies and the structural design of roads. Much of AASHTO's current research is performed by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) which is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

AASHTO re:source, formerly the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL), accredits laboratories. Accreditation is often required to submit test results to state DOTs. For example, a contract for the construction of a highway bridge may require a minimum compressive strength for the concrete used. The contract will specify AASHTO Test Designation T 22, "Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens," as the means of determining compressive strength. The laboratory performing T 22 will be required to be accredited in that test.

AASHTO Product Evaluation and Audit Solution (AASHTO PEAS), formerly National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) provides audits and product acceptance testing. The program is widely used by many state DOTs to populate their approved product lists or approved supplier lists.

AASHTO coordinates the numbering of Interstate Highways, U.S. Highways, and U.S. Bicycle Routes.

== Standards == Current and withdrawn AASHTO standards include:

* AASHTO TP10: Standard Test Method for Determining the tensile strength and temperature at fracture of field or laboratory compacted bituminous mixtures by measuring the tensile load in a specimen which is cooled at a constant rate while being restrained from contraction. * AASHTO T307: Standard Method of Test for Determining the Resilient Modulus of Soils and Aggregate Materials. * AASHTO T321/TP4: Test Standard for Determining the Fatigue Life of Compacted Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) Subjected to Repeated Flexural Bending. * AASHTO TP31: Standard Test Method for Determining the Resilient Modulus of Bituminous Mixtures by Indirect Tension * AASHTO TP62: Standard Method of Test for Determining Dynamic Modulus of Hot-Mix Asphalt Concrete Mixtures * AASHTO T321-03/TP8: Test Standard for Determining the Fatigue Life of Compacted Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) Subjected to Repeated Flexural Bending

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{commons category}} {{wikisource|1=Portal:American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials|2=American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials}} * {{official website|https://www.transportation.org/}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071015165811/http://trb.org/trb/crp.nsf/reference/appendices/NCHRP+Overview National Cooperative Highway Research Program] * [http://www.amrl.net AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080516175215/http://transportation1.org/transupdate/ AASHTO Daily Transportation News Update] * [http://route.transportation.org/ AASHTO Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering] * {{cite report|title=American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – Governing Documents|date=May 18, 2023|publisher=American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials|url=https://transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Governing-Documents-As-Approved-by-the-Board-of-Directors-05-18-2023.pdf|access-date=April 18, 2024}}

Category:Civil engineering organizations Category:Organizations established in 1914 Category:Road transportation in the United States Category:Transportation associations in the United States Category:1914 establishments in the United States Category:Organizations based in Washington, D.C.