Al-Qadi delivers ASCE's 2023 Carl L. Monismith Lecture

Imad Al-Qadi, Illinois Center for Transportation director and University of Illinois Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering, delivered the 2023 Carl L. Monismith Lecture at the International Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference (Pavements 2023) in Austin, Texas on June 15.

The American Society of Civil Engineers established the annual lecture in recognition of Carl Monismith, who made significant contributions to pavement engineering research and teaching. ASCE awards the lecture to recipients with outstanding research contributions in pavement engineering.

Al-Qadi, a distinguished member of ASCE, is a leading researcher in transportation engineering, sustainability, airfield and highway pavement mechanics, electrified freight and platoons, and ground-penetrating radar.

His lecture, Safe, Resilient and Zero-emission Pavements, reflected Monismith’s legacy and commitment to advancing pavement technology.

Al-Qadi emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary efforts to improve the sustainability of pavements while maintaining their resiliency.

“By integrating science, engineering, technology and policy, we can advance the development of resilient pavements that are safe, sustainable and efficient,” Al-Qadi said. “Creating the appropriate infrastructure and establishing effective policies will pave the way for a future where our transportation system is optimized for both people and the planet.”

Pavements 2023, which was jointly held this year with the International Conference on Transportation and Development, provided an arena for over 900 transportation and pavement engineering experts from around the world to interact and share insights.

The conference was not only a platform for established professionals, but also a launchpad for the next generation of pavement engineers. Several doctoral students advised by Al-Qadi presented their research:

• Lama Abufares: Measurements of Asphalt Concrete’s Aggregate Dielectric Constant Using Ground-Penetrating Radar
• Yusra Alhadidi: Stability of Repurposed Plastics in Asphalt Binder
• Akash Bajaj (on behalf of José Rivera-Perez): Asphalt Concrete Crack and Rut Depth Prediction Using Extensive Database
• Lara Diab: Data Organization and Analysis of Flexible Pavement Test Sections at the National Airport Pavement Test Facility
• Javier García Mainieri: Optimization of Local Aggregate Use in SMA
• Watheq Sayeh: Network Pavement Life-Cycle Cost Optimization: A Piecewise-Linearized Approach
• Abhilash Vyas: Development of a New Balanced Mix Design Framework that Incorporates Binder Tests (advised by Ramez Hajj)
• Qingwen Zhou: Impacts of Electrified Trucks on Flexible Pavements; Graph-based Simulator to Predict Airport Flexible Pavement Responses from 3D Finite Element Analysis

For Al-Qadi, a friend of Monismith, it was an honor to deliver the lecture in his friend’s honor as well as to see next-generation researchers make contributions in pavement engineering.

“It was a humbling experience to deliver the Carl L. Monismith Lecture, which holds the name of my dear friend Carl Monismith, a visionary and articulate leader in our field,” Al-Qadi said. “In addition, it was rewarding to hear a few of my students present and share their work to advance the field.”