Rouba Joumblat

Urban districts are increasingly exposed to overlapping heat stress and stormwater loads driven by warming trends, more intense rainfall, and continued growth of impervious surfaces. Pavements occupy a large share of the public right-of-way, so their material and structural design offers a scalable pathway for urban climate adaptation. Yet the literature on porous asphalt remains fragmented, with hydrological performance often assessed using infiltration or permeability metrics in isolation, while thermal studies frequently report surface cooling without consistently tracking the governing water budget or its persistence. To reconcile these disconnected strands, this review synthesizes a conceptual hydro-thermal balance framework in which runoff mitigation and heat moderation are treated as a coupled problem controlled by storage, drainage pathways, and evaporative demand. Within this framing, cooling is primarily water-limited: permeability enables wetting and redistribution, but the magnitude and duration of temperature reduction depend on how much water is retained near the surface and how long it remains available for evaporation, rather than on permeability alone. The review integrates the current understanding of mixture structure and pore connectivity, permeability–storage behavior, moisture availability and evaporation, and the operational factors that govern performance persistence. Laboratory and field evaluation approaches are summarized alongside modeling methods used to interpret coupled hydro-thermal responses under different climates. Practical constraints—including clogging, maintenance requirements, and durability risks under repeated moisture–temperature cycling—are discussed as mechanisms that can progressively suppress both infiltration and water availability, undermining long-term function without performance-based specifications and life-cycle planning. Finally, design and policy implications are outlined for integrating porous asphalt into coordinated heat-and-stormwater strategies, and research priorities are identified to advance standardization, long-term monitoring, and coupled hydro-thermal–mechanical assessment.

With growing environmental and regulatory emphasis on sustainable construction, integrating recycled materials into asphalt mixtures has become an essential direction for advancing greener pavement technologies. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and mechanical performance of asphalt concrete mixtures incorporating waste glass as a partial replacement of fine aggregates by weight at substitution levels of 0%, 10%, and 15%. Laboratory testing was conducted to assess stiffness, viscoelastic behavior, and resistance to permanent deformation through dynamic modulus and Flow Number measurements under varying temperatures and loading frequencies. To move beyond purely empirical evaluation, the research combines experimental characterization with interpretable machine learning to explore the complex interactions among mixture composition, temperature, and loading conditions. Eight machine learning algorithms were compared to identify the most influential parameters and to model nonlinear relationships between glass content, binder characteristics, and volumetric properties. Results showed that mixtures containing 10% waste glass exhibited up to a 15% increase in stiffness and improved rutting resistance, whereas higher replacement levels slightly reduced flexibility. Temperature and frequency were confirmed as the dominant factors governing modulus behavior. By linking experimental findings with data-driven interpretation, this work offers a transparent framework for understanding the multi-scale mechanisms governing waste glass–modified asphalt mixtures. The findings provide practical guidance for optimizing sustainable pavement mix designs, supporting informed decision-making in the broader shift toward circular construction practice.

The integration of Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA) and Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) into Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) presents a sustainable solution to mitigate environmental impacts and reduce reliance on virgin materials. This study investigates the influence of RCA and RAP as partial replacements for natural limestone aggregates on the volumetric, mechanical, and performance properties of asphalt mixtures. Replacement levels of 11%, 33%, and 66% (by total aggregate weight) were evaluated through comprehensive testing, including dynamic modulus, flow number, stiffness factor, and loss modulus assessments under varying temperatures and loading frequencies. Findings indicate that recycled aggregate incorporation results in a progressive reduction in optimum asphalt binder content, voids in mineral aggregates (VMAs), and voids filled with asphalt (VFAs). While all mixtures demonstrated acceptable stiffness-frequency behavior, the 33% replacement mix provided the best balance of rutting resistance and fatigue performance, satisfying Superpave volumetric criteria. The 11% mix exhibited enhanced fatigue resistance, whereas the 66% mix, despite showing the highest rutting stiffness, failed to meet minimum volumetric thresholds and is therefore unsuitable for structural applications. Statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA) confirmed the significant effect of RCA and RAP content on the mechanical response across performance zones. The results highlight the potential of using moderate recycled aggregate levels (particularly 33%) to produce durable, sustainable, and cost-efficient asphalt mixtures. For regions with mixed distress conditions, a 33% replacement is recommended, while 11% may be preferable in fatigue-critical environments. Further research incorporating viscoelastic continuum damage models and life cycle cost analysis is suggested to optimize design strategies and quantify long-term benefits.

Understanding the travel patterns of university campus visitors is crucial for developing effective transportation strategies. Existing research predominantly focuses on student commuting within specific regions, often overlooking the diverse needs of faculty and staff and varying campus contexts. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by investigating travel behaviors at Beirut Arab University (BAU), which has not been previously studied in this context. BAU’s unique situation, with campuses in both urban and rural zones, presents distinct transportation challenges, particularly for those traveling between these areas. Through a comprehensive survey of students, faculty, and staff, this research explores differences in transportation modes, travel distances, durations, and patterns. Statistical techniques, including one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-Squared, and McNemar-Bowker tests, reveal significant variations among traveler groups. The findings highlight specific needs, such as improvements in bus services, car-sharing programs, and parking facilities, essential for creating sustainable campus environments. By examining these travel behaviors, the study offers valuable insights into the complexities of campus transportation, contributing new perspectives to the field. The originality of this research lies in its focus on an underexplored area, providing a deeper understanding of how diverse university environments impact transportation choices. This work not only fills a critical void in campus transportation research but also offers practical recommendations for enhancing transportation systems in similar settings.

The article presents valuable added value in the fields of civil engineering and environmental science, since the authors propose using waste material instead of natural minerals extracted from non-renewable deposits. Therefore, it is an example of c...