WASHINGTON – Today's signing of an Agreement on Standards between the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and ASTM International solidifies coordination between two organizations working in the common interest of highway construction, safety, maintenance, and sustainability in the United States and around the world.

AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley and ASTM President James A. Thomas today signed an agreement which serves as the basis for continued mutual cooperation on the development and publication of highway construction standards.

Through AASHTO, the nation's preeminent transportation experts provide an unparalleled resource for the development of more than 125 volumes of standards and guidelines that are used worldwide in the design, construction, maintenance, operation, and administration of highways, bridges, and other transportation facilities.

"A top priority at AASHTO is to find faster and smarter ways to build the transportation systems that the economy and communities depend on," said AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley." This agreement will help our organizations to avoid duplication of effort and streamline the process, saving both time and precious resources."

"ASTM International is pleased to enter into this agreement with AASHTO," said ASTM's Jim Thomas. "We hope it will foster better coordination in mutual areas of interest, reduce unnecessary duplication of effort, and be responsive to industry needs in an efficient and collaborative manner."

By supporting the science and technology of highway construction, road safety, maintenance, and sustainability, ASTM standards help to ensure that roadways are reliable, safe, and built to last. In the transportation field, several ASTM technical committees develop standards relied upon by the industry, such as ASTM Committees C01 on Cement, C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, D04 on Road and Paving Materials, D18 on Soil and Rock, D35 on Geosynthetics, and others. For over 100 years, ASTM has developed more than 1,000 standards that address the needs of road construction and transportation.