Hassan Baaj

Dr. Hassan Baaj is a Professor at the University of Waterloo, where he serves as Director of the Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) and Associate Dean for Research and External Partnerships in the Faculty of Engineering. He holds the Norman W. McLeod Chair in Sustainable Pavement Engineering. He is also the inaugural President and a founding member of the Academic Alliance for Road Research of Canada.

He earned his Master’s degree from the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’État (France) in 1998 and his Ph.D. from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA Lyon). In 2020, he completed a Master’s in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) at the University of Waterloo, strengthening his leadership and innovation capacity at the interface of academia and industry.

Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Research Council of Canada, Dr. Baaj began his industry career with Colas Canada in 2003, where he led innovative road infrastructure projects in collaboration with government and academic partners. In 2008, he joined Lafarge in France, managing research and development activities in infrastructure engineering.

Dr. Baaj has played leadership roles in national and international organizations, including chairing committees for the Transportation Association of Canada and RILEM. He was elected a RILEM Expert in 2020 and named a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering in 2025. He holds three patents related to sustainable pavement materials and recycling technologies.

His research focuses on advancing smart and resilient pavement systems, with particular emphasis on sustainable and innovative materials, self-healing asphalt technologies, and emerging approaches such as 3D-printed concrete.

• 2002, Doctorate, Civil Engineering, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, France

• 1998, Diplôme d'Études Approfondies (D.E.A), Civil Engineering, École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’État, France

• 1994, Bachelor's Degree, Civil Engineering, Damascus University, Syria

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

• 2025: Fellow, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.

• 2022: Outstanding Performance Award (OPA), University of Waterloo.

• 2020: Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision, University of Waterloo, Faculty of Engineering.

• 2020: Outstanding Performance Award (OPA), University of Waterloo.

• 2015 & 2019: University Research Award, Imperial Oil ($25,000/year for three years).

• 2019: Waterloo Engineering Society, Teaching Excellence Award, Fall 2019.

• 2017: Faculty of Engineering Distinguished Performance Award.

• 2017: Best Paper Elaine Thompson Award – 62nd Canadian Technical Asphalt Association Conference, Halifax, NS.

• 2017: Norman W. McLeod Best Oral Presentation Award (with Mike Aurilio, Peter Mikhailenko).

• 2025 - Present: Associate Dean, Research and External Partnerships, Faculty of Engineering

• 2025 - Present: Special Advisor on International Research Partnerships, Office of the Vice-President, Research and International (OVPRI)

• Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) – (2015 - Present)

• Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) – (2004 - Present)

• President, Academic Alliance for Road Research of Canada (2026 - Present

• Expert (2020-2025) and Senior Member, Crack Healing of Asphalt, RILEM - International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures

• Past Executive Chair (2018-2020), Soil and Materials Standing Committee, Transportation Association of Canada

• Member of the OGRA Asset Management Academy Certification Advisory Board

• Member, Canadian Airfield Pavement Technical Group, Canadian Airfield Pavement Technical Group

• Member of the Quality of Asphalt Pavement Task Force, Ontario Hot Mix Producer Association, MTO, OGRA and industrial members (2015-2016)

• Member, Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (CSCE)

• Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

• Affiliate Member, Transportation Research Board (TRB)

• Member, Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT)

• Member, International Society for Asphalt Technology (ISAP)

• Member, Canadian Technical Asphalt Association (CTAA)

• Associate Editor, ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part B: Pavements, June. 2023 – June 2025

• Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, Dec. 2019 – Present

• Member of the Editorial Board, International Journal for Road Materials and Pavement Design Materials, 2015 – Present

• Guest Editor, Special Issue “Towards the Road of Future - Sustainability and Innovation in Pavement Engineering”, Applied Science Journal, MDPI, June. 2023 – July 2024

• Editor, Proceedings of the RILEM International Symposium on Bituminous Materials: ISBM 2020, Springer, June 2019 – January 2021

• Guest Editor, Special Issue “Novel Bituminous Materials for Sustainable Pavements”, Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, Hindawi, Sep. 2019 – March 202

• CIVE 542 - Pavement Structural Design
  • Taught in 2023, 2024, 2025
• CIVE 644 - Innovative and Sustainable Infrastructure Materials
  • Taught in 2021, 2024
• CIVE 742 - Pavement Design and Management II
  • Taught in 2022, 2023, 2026

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

• Qabur, A*; Baaj, H; El-Hakim M. (2024). The influence of Multi-Layer Plastic Packaging (MPP) on the high-temperature performance of asphalt binders and mixtures using wet and dry mixing methods. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 25(1)

• Kang, J*; Tavassoti, P; Chaudry, MNAR; Baaj, H; Ghafurian, M. (2024). Artificial intelligence techniques for pavement performance prediction: a systematic review. Road Materials and Pavement Design, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680629.2024.2373222

• Almutairi, H*; Qabur, A*; Baaj, H. (2024). Laboratory evaluation of asphalt mixtures reinforced with aramid fibres coated with bituminous oils. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2023-0244

• Melese, E; Baaj, H; Dias, G M; Tighe, S. (2023). Effects of cementitious stabilizers on performance and life cycle impacts of full-depth reclamation. Road Materials and Pavement Design. 24(5)

• Aurilio, M; Tavassoti-Kheiry, P; Elwardany, M; Baaj, H. (2023). Characterization of Styrene-Butadiene Styrene (SBS)-Modified Asphalt Binders using the Bending Beam Rheometer and the Asphalt Binder Cracking Device. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. 50(8)

• Liao, H; Tavassoti-Kheiri, P; Baaj, H. (2023). Evaluation of rutting resistance and moisture susceptibility of high RAP content asphalt mixtures containing bio-based rejuvenators. Construction and Building Materials. 401

• Tavassoti, P; Baaj, H; Ghafurian, M; Maadani, O; Shafiee, M. (2023). A Framework for Smart Pavements in Canada. Engineering Proceedings. 36(1)

• Liao, H; Tavassoti, P; Baaj, H. (2023). Comparing Rheological Indexes to Optimize Rejuvenator Dosage for Asphalt Binders Containing High Ratios of Recycled Asphalt. Testing and Evaluation. 51(4)

• Almutairi, H; Baaj, H. (2023). Rheological, Spectroscopic, and Chemical Characterization of Asphalt Binders Modified with Phase Change Materials, Polymers and Glass Powder. Applied Science. 13(8)

• Almutairi, H; Baaj, H. (2023). Evaluating Self-Healing Behaviour of Asphalt Binders Modified with Phase Change Materials, Polymers and Recycled Glass Powder. Polymers. 15(8)

• Asphalt mixture without virgin bitumen based on recycled materials, Co-inventors: M. Ech, N. Richard, P. Tintillier. Publication no. 20140033951. Date of publication: Publication no. US20140033951 A1. Date of publication: Feb. 6th, 2014. US file number US 13/952,056. Application filed: July. 26, 2013.

• Production of Warm and Half-Warm Mix Asphalt using Superabsorbent Polymers, Co-inventors: M. Ech, N. Richard, E. Villard. Publication number WO/2010/112784. Date of publication: April 14th, 2011. International file number PCT/FR2010/052086. Application filed: Oct. 04, 2010.

• Chemical treatment of aggregates with cationic polymers to enhance bitumen aggregates adhesion in asphalt mixes, Co-inventors: M. Ech, N. Richard, E. Villard, P. Toubeau, S. Brocas. Publication no. WO/2011/042647, Date of publication: Oct. 7th, 2010. International file number PCT/FR2010/050630. Application Apr. 01, 2010, International Classification: C08L 95/00 (20060101)

• Prof recognized with top civil engineering honour
• Inside Waterloo’s thoroughfare think tank
• Outstanding faculty and staff honoured