Xiomara Sanchez-Castillo

Other titles

D.C. Campbell Chair in Highway Construction and Pavement Research

Background

• PhD Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo (2014)
• MASc Civil Engineering, University of Los Andes (2007)
• BASc Civil Engineering, University of Los Andes (2004)

Specialty

• Pavement Engineering
• Design and Materials

Classes

• CE2023 Mechanics of Materials
• CE5241 Infrastructure Asset Management
• CE5212 Pavement Design

Research interests

• Sustainable Pavement Practices
• Pavement Asset Management
• Pavement Design and Construction Technologies
• Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation Techniques

Current research

Dr. Sanchez’s research has been mainly focused on the use and performance of recycled materials for road construction. She expects to develop a research program to study the effective use of waste and by-product materials in pavements. Specifically, Dr. Sanchez is interested in the reuse of reclaimed asphalt pavement, tear-off asphalt shingles, and post-consumer plastic. Besides, Dr. Sanchez is interested in asphalt modification and exploring the use of biomaterials to enhance the performance of asphalt. In this area, she is currently leading the following project:

• Effect of Biochar in Asphalt Mix (Funded by the UNB Department of Civil Engineering)

Apart from this, Dr. Sanchez is looking to study how pavement decays over time and the numerous factors influencing the pavement performance including material thickness and properties (layers and foundation soil), environmental conditions, construction methods and quality, and maintenance history. She is currently leading the following project in this area:

• Pavement Performance Evaluation of Rehabilitation Treatments (Funded by the Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure)

Awards and recognition

• Mitacs Research Training Award (2020)
• Harrison McCain Foundation Young Scholars Award (2017)

Special certifications and fellowships

• Diploma in University Teaching, University of New Brunswick, 2015
• Certificate in New guide of Mechanistic-Empirical Design MEPDG AASHTO 2008 - International Road Federation, 2010
• Certificate in Assessment of road infrastructure projects with the HDM-4 - Pontifical Xavierian University, 2008
• Certificate in Management of infrastructure projects - Pontifical Xavierian University, 2008

Professional affiliations and other titles

• D.C. Campbell Chair in Highway Construction and Pavement Research
• Member of the Academy of Pavement Science and Engineering (APSE)
• Member of the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association (CTAA)
• Board member of the New Brunswick Asphalt User-Producer Group (NBUPG)

Publications