Sustainable Transport and Infrastructures | DESS, Master's, PhD

­« Return to the Spheres of Excellence in Research page

Sphere of excellence in research

Sustainable Transport and Infrastructures

Video - Sphere of excellence in research: Sustainable Transport and Infrastructures - Polytechnique MontréalThe roads we travel, the vehicles and aircraft we climb aboard, and the buildings we spend time in are essential infrastructure and modes of transportation we need to carry out our daily activities. Their design must reflect social, environmental and economic constraints that can be adapted to more sustainable approaches while responding to the needs of society.

With this in mind, researchers at Polytechnique Montréal are modeling the mobility of the future, validating collected data and contributing to the design of more sustainable vehicles, aircraft and roads that respond to the need for user safety, the reduction of noise and of greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers, working in partnership with governments and businesses, seek to better plan development projects and increase the quality of life of individuals, optimizing their travel as well as reducing their impact on the environment.

IN RELATION TO THIS SPHERE OF EXCELLENCE

PROFESSORS

Consult information sheets about our professors and details about their research work by consulting the directory of expertise at Polytechnique Montréal.

Investments in Research Infrastructures

Since 1999, Polytechnique has invested $37,144,358 in its Sustainable Transport and Infrastructures Sphere of Excellence thanks to support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Government of Quebec and other partners.

EXAMPLES OF MASTER'S AND PHD PROJECTS OFFERED

Every year, Polytechnique Montréal offers hundreds of project opportunities for graduate students. To give you an idea of the wide range of topics our researchers are working on, here are a few examples of the projects being carried out at the university in connection with the Sustainable Transport and Infrastructures Sphere of Excellence. Keep in mind that this list isn't exhaustive.

Click here to see all the projects currently offered by and find the one(s) that align with your interests. 

PLANNING CITIES THAT FAVOUR SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

Lead Professor: Geneviève Boisjoly
Department: Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering

How to plan cities and urban transportation networks that are sustainable and equitable? This is the question that Professor Geneviève Boisjoly aims to answer in her research. With her team, she focusses on urban modalities and transportation networks that influence the individual’s choice to walk, ride a bicycle or take public transport. She is also interested in the planning and operation of public transportation networks and their impact on ridership and the satisfaction of users.

Do these topics interest you? Professor Boisjoly is seeking master’s and/or doctoral students for a research project on urban integration/transportation to increase use of active and public transportation.

FORECASTING AND ADAPTING TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS FOR THE FUTURE

Lead Professor: Francesco Ciari
Department: Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering

Developing new modes of transportation poses many challenges in terms of urban mobility. To meet these challenges, Professor Francesco Ciari is leading research projects that aim to simulate transportation systems of the future that adapt new technologies for improved mobility for individuals. The work of Professor Ciari focusses on modelling mobile transport for the future, the behaviour of users in relation to these new means of transport and the movement of self-driving vehicles between cities. 

Professor Ciari is seeking future master’s-level students to work in multi-agent simulations of mobility, notably in forecasting hypothetical scenarios in which shared self-driving vehicles will respond in large part to an urban population’s needs for mobility within a region.  

VALIDATE TRANSPORTATION DATA COLLECTED BY PAYMENT SYSTEMS

Lead Professor: Martin Trépanier
Department: Mathematics and Industrial Engineering

Transportation systems generate phenomenal amounts of data each day. This data has its own characteristics which require particular methods to treat, analyze, model, drill down and forecast. Professor Trépanier is seeking master’s and/or doctoral students who want to work in the discovery of new uses for the collected data as well as developing validation tools. 

Students will be integrated into existing research teams, such as the Chair in Mobility and the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur les réseaux d’entreprise, la logistique et le transport (CIRRELT), and will be invited to work on real case studies in partnership with transportation agencies, public organizations and industry. Other projects in this area are also available, notably on the use of data to improve logistical networks for snow removal and in the transport of goods.

CONCEPTION OF SUSTAINABLE ROADS USING MINING WASTE

Lead Professor: Carlos Ovalle
Codirector: Thomas Pabst
Department: Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering

The enormous amounts of waste produced by the mining industry poses a number of challenges to society. To find sustainable solutions to this problem, Professors Thomas Pabst and Carlos Ovalle conduct research on the validation (that is to say, the reuse) of mining waste to reduce its environmental impact and to find new uses. They are working, among other projects, on finding ways to reuse the material to build roads that are more durable and resistant within mining sites and elsewhere.

Students participating in these research projects will be able to work in collaboration with important partners in the mining sector, on the ground and in the laboratory, with the benefit of using advanced technological equipment. In the context of their research, they will focus on the responsible development of the mining industry and will work with digital simulation tools to evaluate the feasibility and durability of new roads. This work will contribute to the improvement of mining practices in the industry.

TECHNOLOGIES TO SERVE TRANSPORTATION AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Lead Professor: Nicolas Saunier
Department: Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering

Using technology to make travel more efficient, secure and enjoyable, and studying the planning of transport hubs and public spaces are the themes at the heart of research projects being conducted by Professor Nicolas Saunier, who is also interested in active transportation (pedestrian and bicycling), intelligent transportation and in methods of analysis for data collected by the transportation sector. 

Students who will be integrated into Professor Saunier’s research teams will have the opportunity to work with methods using artificial intelligence to analyze user observation data. Among the research subjects are the automatization of the collection and analysis of data, the behaviour of self-driving vehicles, and the evaluation of new technologies and planning of new transportation.

REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (GGE/GES) GENERATED BY THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR IN QUÉBEC

Lead Professor: Owen Waygood
Department: Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering

Greenhouse gas emissions (GGE/GES) in the transportation sector continue to increase while most other sectors are experiencing a decrease. Professor Owen Waygood is seeking master’s research students to better understand the problems posed by this trend and to contribute to a reduction in these emissions.

Professor Waygood is currently conducting two research projects: the first aims to estimate greenhouse gas emissions now being produced by vehicles in Quebec and to establish possible limits for reduction due to the behaviour of users; the second focuses on the improvement in the communication of information about greenhouse gas emissions so that individuals can make more informed choices in their mobility.

­« Return to the Spheres of Excellence in Research page