Firas Barraj

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• Doctor of Engineering
• Assistant professor at University of Balamand

This paper investigates the behaviors of different types of prestressed concrete beams utilizing fully encased cold‐ or hot‐formed steel joists. Twelve types divided into two sets of composite beams are assessed. Set 1 is composed of six beams utilizing cold‐formed steel (CFS) joists distinguished by the cross‐sectional steel‐to‐concrete ratios of...

This paper investigates the properties of warm asphalt mixtures containing varying levels of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and a novel fatty amine-based asphalt additive. Addressing limitations of warm mix asphalt (WMA) and RAP, the study employs Superpave design and optimal additive content. Dynamic modulus (DM) and flow number (FN) tests a...

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) is recognized for its eco-friendly attributes minimizing energy consumption and emissions during production and application of asphalt concrete (AC). Yet, a comprehensive assessment of the performance of each WMA technology in the long term is pivotal to validate its role in advancing sustainability and infrastructure resilie...

Lebanon is currently facing one of the worst economic crises in its history, which has been compounded by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut in August 2020. This research focuses on the Greater Beirut area in Lebanon, aiming to examine the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on t...

This research investigates the feasibility of using bottom ash from municipal solid waste incinerators (BA) as a replacement for traditional aggregates in pervious concrete (PC). The method employed in these mixes optimizes the use of silica fume as a partial substitute for high-strength Portland cement (Type 52.5), to promote sustainability and re...

Shrinkage is a main criterion of durability. Its control is essential for the long-term serviceability of concrete, especially pervious concrete (PC). This study examines the autogenous shrinkage and expansion of pervious concrete pavement (PCP), including municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (BA) from a Lebanon source as a partial and ful...

Various types of structures can be constructed using reinforced concrete, including slabs, walls, beams, columns, foundations, frames, and more. The incorporation of structural steel and reinforcements in concrete enhances the strength and durability of structural elements while compensating for the tensile weaknesses in the concrete material. This...

Shrinkage is a common cause of cracking in various types of concrete. Several factors can affect the degree of shrinkage, including the use of waste materials like municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWI-BA) in concrete production. Incorporating MSWI-BA can increase the recycling rate of waste materials in construction, making it a sust...

Due to the depletion of natural aggregates and high maintenance cost of highway systems, developing sustainable asphalt concrete (AC) mixes that use waste materials instead of virgin raw materials is necessary. A large amount of waste glass material is globally generated per year that could be beneficial to sustain the asphalt industry. In this con...

Pavement performance modelling is a crucial element of pavement management systems, aiding in forecasting maintenance plans. This study focuses on a mechanistic-empirical process for pavement design in Lebanon and investigates the impact of overweight axles on pavement deterioration. Overloading axles significantly affects pavement performance, cha...

The existence of rutting or permanent deformation on flexible pavement layers has always been a concern that negatively affects the performance of roads by reducing the lifespan of pavement structure and by posing a safety risk for vehicles over the road. Traffic overloading is one of the primary factors that accelerates the deterioration of flexib...

Interests in the use of natural fibers as soil reinforcement are developing rapidly due to their cost effectiveness, high availability, and eco-friendliness. Many published studies investigated the advantages of fiber-reinforced soil, yet few of them used fibers extracted from Fan Palm (F.P), Date Palm (D.P) trees and Phragmites Australis (Ph.A) st...

Pavement performance is the ability of pavement to remain in an acceptable condition to serve the intended users over a period of time. There are several principal, combined factors that affect flexible pavement performance such as environmental conditions, pavement materials, and traffic loads. Vehicle overloading is considered one of the most sig...

Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) incorporation is bounded by many specifications that limit its increased utilization. One of them, which many road agencies adopt, is the allowance of RAP from known single origin “classified RAP” only to be utilized in new mixtures. A lot of asphalt plants cannot afford space for multiple small RAP stockpiles in th...

Difficulties in meeting the minimum voids in mineral aggregates (VMA) requirement of Superpave have been a common adversity for researchers in the mix design phase. The rationale behind having minimum VMA criteria was to guarantee durability of asphalt mixtures. However, multiple studies have demonstrated weak relationship between VMA and durabilit...

MEPDG (Mechanistic empirical pavement design guide) provides a hierarchical approach of three levels of data inputs that are progressively more reliable and accurate: Level 1 (site-specific data), Level 2 (regional-default data), and Level 3 (national-default data). Although level 3 is allowed by MEPDG in data scarce regions, several studies showed...

Newer technologies such as warm mix asphalt (WMA) and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) have gained international approval and have been considered as appropriate solutions that support the sustainability goals of the highway sector. However, both technologies present some shortcomings. The lower mixing and compaction temperatures of WMA reduce the...

Newer technologies such as warm mix asphalt (WMA) and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) have gained international approval and have been considered as appropriate solutions that support the sustainability goals of the highway sector. However, both technologies present some shortcomings. The lower mixing and compaction temperatures of WMA reduce the...

The aim of the work performed in this paper is to present a composite indi- cators framework to guide sustainable transportation planning in Lebanon by assessing the sustainability marginal cost of Land Transport modes used mostly based on ICE (internal combustion engine) auto dependence. The framework covers 6 indicators of the triple bottom li...