Bridging the Gap--Theory and Current Practice

Modern highway engineers have designed and constructed the great­ est road system the world has ever known. This accomplishment is a credit to the individuals and to our profession as a whole. I t is entirely proper for us to brag about our past accomplishments and the good jobs that we have built. We must, however, remember that terms such as “good”, “excel­ lent”, and “satisfactory” are only relative; they indicate a comparison between the present and the past. The real challenge is to compare the present with our possibilities in the future. The good pavement of today may be judged only fair in light of what we expect to produce tomorrow. There is no question as to whether or not we are moving forward— undoubtedly the pavements of tomorrow will be superior to those con­ structed yesterday. However, being the impatient type of humans that we are, concern is with maximizing the rate at which these improve­ ments are accomplished. W e acknowledge that our long range basic re­ search effort must be expended and intensified. W e know also, however, that there is an urgent need to bring into focus the vast amount of exist­ ing technology and translate this information into current designs, speci­ fications and construction practices.