Christian Bachmann, PEng

Chris Bachmann is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo and a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in the Province of Ontario. He holds a BASc, MASc, and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto, as well as a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) from the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Bachmann’s research focuses on transportation systems and travel behavior analysis, sustainable construction and material recovery, and freight, trade, and transportation economics. He is the Director of the Virtual Mobility Lab (VML), a Canada Foundation for Innovation–funded facility featuring walking, cycling, and driving simulators. His research group has partnered with organizations including Transport Canada, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, the Region of Waterloo, the City of Waterloo, the City of Kitchener, and Miovision. In recognition of his research contributions, he received the Transportation Research Board’s Fred Burggraf Award in 2017 and an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities in 2022.

Dr. Bachmann regularly teaches Economics and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (CIVE 392) and Transportation Engineering Applications (CIVE 341) at the undergraduate level, as well as Modelling Transportation, Land Use and Spatial Economics (CIVE 645) at the graduate level. In 2019, he received the University of Waterloo Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award for sustained excellence in undergraduate teaching.

He serves as Faculty Advisor for the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) University of Waterloo Student Chapter, which received the ITE Canada Outstanding Student Chapter Award in 2024 and 2025.

• Transportation Systems and Travel Behavior Analysis

• Freight, Trade, and Transportation Economics

• Sustainable Construction and Material Recovery

Transportation Systems and Travel Behavior Analysis: Examines how people move and make decisions within transportation systems using behavioural models, trajectory data, and virtual reality to improve safety, accessibility, and system design.

Freight, Trade, and Transportation Economics: Develops and applies economic and transportation models to evaluate infrastructure investments, freight systems, and trade policies, with a focus on economic performance, sustainability, and policy relevance.

Sustainable Construction and Material Recovery: Focuses on reducing the environmental and climate impacts of construction through circular economy strategies, material recovery, and data-driven assessment of buildings and infrastructure.

• 2020, Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology, Conrad School, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2015, Doctorate, Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada

• 2011, Master of Applied Science, Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada

• 2009, Bachelor of Applied Science, Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada

• 2026, Distinguished Performance Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo

• 2024, Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo

• 2022, Distinguished Performance Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo

• 2022, Early Researcher Award, Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities

• 2020, Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo

• 2019, Teaching Excellence Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo

• 2019, Distinguished Performance Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo

• 2018, Fred Burggraf Award, Transportation Research Board (TRB)

• 2026 - present, Associate Chair, Graduate Studies

• 2023 – 2025, Southwestern Ontario Executive Section, Student Liaison, Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE)

• 2017 – 2025, Standing Committee on International Trade and Transportation (AT020), Member, Secretary, Transportation Research Board (TRB)

• AE 392 - Economics and Life Cycle Analysis
  • Taught in 2022
• CIVE 341 - Transportation Engineering Applications
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026
• CIVE 392 - Economics and Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024
• CIVE 645 - Modeling Transportation and Spatial Economics
  • Taught in 2021, 2025, 2026
• ENVE 392 - Economics and Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024
• GEOE 392 - Economics and Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Lehmann Skelton, C., Hellinga, B., & Bachmann, C. (2025). Predicting pedestrian crossing behavior and violations using a pathfinding approach. Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 152(2). https://doi.org/10.1061/JTEPBS.TEENG-9147

• Dressler, A., & Bachmann, C. (2025). Pedaling through pixels: Decoding the methodological framework of virtual reality cycling research. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 112 (2025), 256-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2025.04.011

• Terry, J., & Bachmann, C. (2023). Estimating suburban preferences for integrated public transit and ridesourcing services through a revealed-preference/stated preference survey. Journal of Public Transportation, 25(2023),1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubtr.2023.100047

• Aguas, O., & Bachmann, C. (2022). Assessing the effects of input uncertainties on the outputs of a freight demand model. Research in Transportation Economics, 95(2022), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.retrec.2022.101234

• Wang, W., Saari, R., Bachmann, C., & Mukherjee, U. (2020). Estimating transboundary economic damages from climate change and air pollution for subnational incentives for green on-road freight. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 82(2020), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102325

• Lei, R., & Bachmann, C. (2019). Assessing the role of port efficiency as a determinant of maritime transport costs: Evidence from Canada. Maritime Economics and Logistics, 22, 562–584. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41278-019-00135-5

• Rankin, K. H., Serrenho, A, C., Bachmann, C., Posen, D., & Shoshanna, S. (2026). The climate limits of construction in over 1000 cities. Nature Cities. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00379-8

• Mollaei, A., Byers, B., Christovan, C., Olumo, A., De Wolf, C., Bachmann, C., & Haas, C. (2023). A global perspective on building material recovery incorporating the impact of regional factors. Journal of Cleaner Production, 429(2023), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139525

• Mollaei, A., Bachmann, C., & Haas, C. (2023). Assessing the impact of policy tools on building material recovery. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 198 (2023), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107188

• Student success at transportation conference
• These paths are EVERYWHERE! What are "goat paths" and how can we better design for them?
• Adaptis’ proprietary, AI-driven software enables circularity in construction
• Engineering Day 2022
• Prof wins funding under early researcher program
• Researchers awarded $1.1 million for lab equipment
• CTRF debate victory