INTRODUCING THE ORGANIZATION OF TRANSPORT STUDIES
Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt)
Federal Highway Research Institute
Petra PETER-ANTONIN & Iris SCHNEIDERMANN
Public Relations, BASt

The Federal Highway Research Institute (Bundesanstalt fürStraßenwesen - BASt) in Germany is a technical and scientific institute subordinate to the Federal
Ministry for Transport, Buildingand Housing (Bundesministerium
für Verkehr, Bau- und Wohnungswesen - BMVBW). Its remit is topromote development of roads andrelated fields and to provide theBMVBW with scientifically sounddata to assist the decision-making
process for issues relating to transport policy in these fields. Thetasks range from answering enquiries at short notice to co-ordinating
and conducting research projects
lasting several years.
The BASt’s aims are to improve the cost-effectiveness of building and maintaining federal trunk

roads and their structures, increase
the safety and efficiency of roadtransport, reduce the environmental impact produced by road traffic and road construction and improve the efficiency of the overall
transport system. To support theBMVBW, the BASt is involved at
the national and international levelin drawing up regulations and standards in all fields related to roads.
The BASt’s work began in1951 with research into road construction. In 1965 it was commissioned to expand its remit beyondroad construction and also work on
increasing traffic safety and the efficiency of the roads. In 1970 theGerman Bundestag passed a resolution designating the BASt as thecentral agency for accident research.

Fig. 1 Federal Highway Research Institute (Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen –BASt)

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LARGE-SCALE TESTFACILITIES
Since 1983, the BASt has
been located in Bergisch GladbachBensberg near Cologne. In thegrounds, which cover approximately 20 hectares, there is an office complex as well as ten test
halls with large-scale test facilities,some of which are unique: with its
Vehicle Engineering Test Facility,
the BASt has an accredited test
laboratory for conducting EuroNCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) crash tests.
Tests are also carried out here to
improve active vehicle safety, andimpact tests are conducted on elements of road equipment. The interior drum testing facility enables
the friction between tyres androadway to be tested under different atmospheric conditions. On therotating test facility, the BASt, under commission to industry, tests
roadway marking systems before
they are used in practice. The lighting engineering hall is 112 metreslong and can be completely darkened, allowing night-time traffic
situations to be simulated andmany tests to be carried out withfull-scale conditions. Acoustic
readings for noise protection arecarried out in the BASt and include
the use of models of traffic structures and the residential structures
surrounding them. With a scale of
1:20, surfaces of 200 × 200 metrescan then be simulated on a 10 × 10
metre model surface. A road has
been installed at a scale of 1:1 inthe hall for dynamic investigations.
The load-bearing behaviour of dif-Fig. 2 Rotating test facilityby the European Union. It also coordinates more than 300 projects
carried out by external scientists.
In the field of safety researchin road traffic, the BASt plans andcoordinates research to meet therespective aims and objectives, andtests the efficiency of measures designed to increase traffic safety.
The BASt’s tasks also include
providing advice and expertise. Inaddition to this, the Federal Highway Research Institute evaluates
the quality of services and assesses
the quality of products on its largescale test facilities and in its laboratories. This includes conducting
accreditations, inspections, certifications and approval and homologisation procedures as well as
holding courses of training.

COOPERATIONFig. 3 Hall for dynamic investigations

ferent construction methods andconstruction substances is investigated here using time-lapse techniques and a simulated traffic load.
In only four weeks, it is possible
to simulate the load of a busy roadover a period of 25 years.

RESEARCH AND QUALITYASSURANCEThe BASt uses its test facilities to carry out its own research
work when there are issues of particular importance. The BASt conducts approximately 300 of its own
research projects per year, and increasingly also conducts projects
and investigations commissioned

The BASt cooperates in mostof its fields with other research
agencies from Germany and abroad,in particular with the countries inthe European Community. International exchanges of experiences
and participation in internationalorganisations are becoming increasingly important. The scientists atthe BASt are involved in over 20
international organisations, including PIARC (World Road Association) and the OECD (Organizationfor Economic Co-operation and Development). At the European level,
the main bodies in which the BAStis active include FEHRL (Forumof European National Highway
Research Laboratories), FERSI(Forum of European Road Safety

IATSS RESEARCH Vol.29 No.1, 2005 •115

Research Insititutes) and EuroNCAP(European New Car Assessment
Programme).

INFORMATION AND EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES
The BASt publishes the results of its work in two publication
series; abstracts of the work arepublished in “Scientific Informa-Fig. 4 Crash in the vehicle engineering test facilitytion“ and on the Internet underwww.bast.de. The BASt researchis also documented in ITRD (International Transport ResearchDocumentation), an international
information database which has existed since 1972. Workshops, conferences and congresses take place
regularly in the BASt to maintainthe exchange of experiences withother experts – at both national andinternational level.
The BASt’s annual budget isapproximately 30 million Euro andit now has over 400 employees.

AREAS OFRESPONSIBILITY
The BASt’s tasks are divided
into five technical divisions and theadministrative services division:• Highway construction technology• Bridges and structural technology• Traffic engineering• Automotive engineering• Behaviour and safety in highway
traffic• Administrative services

Fig. 5 Bridges and structural technology

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Highway construction
technology
High axle loads and evergreater volumes of lorry traffic areplacing an increasing strain on theroads. Pavement construction andmaintenance methods must therefore be improved technically andas regards cost-effectiveness. Highquality natural building and recycling materials are to be used forthis purpose. Noise-reducing roadsurfaces must continue to be improved, funds must be used in an
optimal manner. This divisionfocuses on the following main areas:• Fundamental issues of road maintenance• Earthworks and mineral aggregates• Concrete pavements, low-noise
surface textures• Pavement testing and design• Asphalt pavements• Chemistry, environmental protection and laboratory services• European standardisation of highway construction
Bridges and structural
technology
Bridges and tunnels are important elements on roads. The
BASt works on developing procedures to improve durability andcost-effectiveness and conducts research in order to recognise damage in time, use targeted measures
to repair the damage and then takethe findings into account in theconstruction of new bridges andtunnels. This division focuses on:• Concrete structures• Steel structures and corrosion protection• Tunnel engineering and operation,foundations• Maintenance of engineering structures
Traffic engineering
Traffic engineering is caught
between traffic demand and ecology. Roads must be designed safely
and in an environmentally compatible manner, the existing road network must be used efficiently andtraffic quality must be maintainedby means of new technologies andconcepts. Traffic signs should beeasily recognisable, protection andguidance devices should be safeand durable. The highway operation services should maintain theroads and ensure that traffic is safe.
The aim must be to reduce the environmental impact made by traffic. This section concentrates on
the following areas:• Highway planning, highway design• Telematics, traffic management• Environmental protection• Highway equipment• Highway operation• Traffic statistics, traffic operationand traffic control
Automotive engineering
Research focuses on the active and passive safety of vehicles.
The BASt assesses modern technologies designed to assist drivers
to cope better with complex trafficsituations. Noise and exhaust emissions from motorised traffic should
be reduced, environmentally compatible technologies should be improved. The central areas of thisdivision’s work are:
• Active vehicle safety, emissions
and energy• Passive vehicle safety, biomechanics• Vehicle-pavement interaction• Vehicle safety evaluation, driverassistance systems
Behaviour and safety inhighway traffic
Despite a highly developedroad network and modern safetysystems, there will always be accidents. The behaviour and attitudeof road users are the decisive factors in accidents. Risk factors andgroups must be recognised. Safetyconcepts must be developed forspecific target groups and the effect of measures and training
programmes tested. Considerationmust be given to aspects relating totraffic medicine and traffic psychology, and the emergency services
must be improved even more. The
work in this division focuses on:• Safety concepts, safety communication• Accident statistics and analysis• Traffic psychology, traffic medicine• Driver training, driver rehabilitation• Accreditation agency for bodies
providing driving licence services
Administrative services
This division develops research programmes and coordinates
the BASt’s internal and external research activities. International cooperation with foreign organisations
and institutions is becoming increasingly important. The research
results are published in various media. The BASt’s technical tasks
must be supported via modern IT
methods. Organisational, staff andbudgeting matters must be coordinated. The main tasks of the administrative services division are:• Personnel, purchasing• Organisation, information andcommunication technology• Budgeting, accounting, in-housemanagement services• External IT coordination, German
Federal Highway Information System (Bundesinformationssystem
Straße)• National and international research
management and cooperation• Public relations, scientific information

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