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Prepared by American Concrete Institute; American Institute of Steel Construction; American Iron and Steel Institute; ASCE; Civil Engineering Research Foundation; Concrete Research and Education Foundation; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association; Portland Cement Assoication; Suppliers of Adfanced Composite Materials Association; The Aluminum Association.

This executive report provides a high-level, policy-oriented summary of the findings detailed in the longer Technical Report. The intended audience is members of Congress, other national policymakers, and government and industry leaders. Initiated as a result of the 1991 National Civil Engineering Research Needs Forum organized by the Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF), this report builds a case for a national program aimed at exploiting the potential of high-performance concrete and steel for improving the competitiveness and quality of U.S. construction. Although the executive report includes a synopsis of conclusions contained in the Technical Report, its main emphasis is on the potential benefits to be realized from such a national program. The report concludes with a call for active support, participation, and funding from government, industry, and academia in order to realize this critial national priority.