Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering Shoshanna Saxe

Associate Professor

Background

Dr. Shoshanna Saxe is an Associate Professor in the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, and Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Sustainable Infrastructure. She investigates the relationship between the infrastructure we build and the society we create to identify opportunities – and pathways – to better align infrastructure provision with sustainability. Her research focuses around two main questions: 1) What should we build? and 2) how should we build it?

Saxe is a former Action Canada fellow, sits on Waterfront Toronto’s Capital Peer Review Panel and Metrolinx Project Evaluation Advisory Panel. She was awarded the 2019 OPEA Engineering Medal – Young Engineer. Her research and commentary have been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Toronto Star, The Financial Post, and Wired, including “What We Really Need Are Good ‘Dumb’ Cities” (New York Times, July 2019).

Education and Designations

Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics from McGill (2007)
Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT (2009)
PhD from the University of Cambridge in Engineering (2016) (Jesus College)
Post Doctoral Fellow, University of Toronto (2016)
PEng (Ontario)

Research Interests

Sustainable infrastructure

Construction resource use and embodied GHG

Transit infrastructure

Infrastructure and time

Potential Students

Each year I admit MASc and PhD students for interdisciplinary research investigating civil infrastructure and sustainability. This research calls on methods from construction engineering, construction governance, structural engineering, geotechnics, transport engineering, industrial ecology, land use planning and data analysis. Interested candidates should email a CV, unofficial transcripts, and a brief research proposal (max 1 page). Candidates are strongly encouraged to research advice for effective proposal drafting. A strong introductory email is a great first step towards graduate school admission.

NOTE: Due to a high volume of emails, I only respond to emails that include the requested attachments.

Selected Publications

See other publications on Google Scholar

Guven G, Arceo A, Bennett A, et al. (2022) A construction classification system database for understanding resource use in building construction. Scientific Data 9(1). Springer US: 42. DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01141-8.

Imani AF, Miller EJ and Saxe S (2019) Cycle Accessibility and Level of Traffic Stress: A Case Study of Toronto. Journal of Transport Geography 80(Octover). DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2019.102496.

Saxe S and Kasraian D (2020) Rethinking environmental LCA life stages for transport infrastructure to facilitate holistic assessment. Journal of Industrial Ecology 24(5): 1031–1046. DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13010.

Saxe S, Miller EJ and Guthrie P (2017) The net greenhouse gas impact of the Sheppard Subway Line. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 51: 261–275. DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2017.01.007.

Saxe S, Guven G, Pereira L, et al. (2020) Taxonomy of uncertainty in environmental life cycle assessment of infrastructure projects. Environmental Research Letters 15(8). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab85f8.

Zuluaga S, Karney BW and Saxe S (2021) The concept of value in sustainable infrastructure systems: a literature review. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability 1(2): 022001. DOI: 10.1088/2634-4505/ac0f32.

Nahangi M, Guven G, Olanrewaju B, et al. (2021) Embodied greenhouse gas assessment of a bridge: A comparison of preconstruction Building Information Model and construction records. Journal of Cleaner Production 295. Elsevier Ltd: 126388. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126388.

Saxe S and Macaskill K (2019) Toward adaptive infrastructure : the role of existing infrastructure systems Toward adaptive infrastructure : the role of existing infrastructure systems. Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure 00(00). Taylor & Francis: 1–4. DOI: 10.1080/23789689.2019.1681822.

Teaching

Course Code	Title & Description	Session	Day(s)	Start Time	End	Section
CIV100H	Mechanics Mechanics The principles of statics are applied to composition and resolution of forces, moments and couples. The equilibrium states of structures are examined. Throughout, the free body diagram concept is emphasized. Vector algebra is used where it is most useful, and stress blocks are introduced. Shear force diagrams, bending moment diagrams and stress-strain relationships for materials are discussed. Stress and deformation in axially loaded members and flexural members (beams) are also covered. View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.	Fall 2020	Scheduled by the Office of the Faculty Registrar.
CIV1399H	Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Large Scale Infrastructure and Sustainability Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Large Scale Infrastructure and Sustainability The next 15 years will see major changes in the global infrastructure system; in this time US$90 Trillion dollars will be spent on infrastructure. To meet local, national and international sustainability goals this next generation of infrastructure must be planned, designed and built in new ways. Large scale infrastructure projects have impacts well beyond their stated primary purpose: they consume significant amounts of natural resources and, once built, change how we live, work and move. As key players in planning, designing, constructing and commissioning large infrastructure projects, engineers have a special responsibility to understand the myriad ways infrastructure interacts with our natural and social systems. This course will explore what sustainability means in the context of infrastructure development, examine infrastructure needs and sustainability at the global and project scale, and provide students will skills and techniques to impact infrastructure sustainability in their future work. At the end of this course, students will be able to think critically about the wider impacts of large scale infrastructure projects and use this knowledge alongside their technical engineering skills to develop better outcomes. --- Special studies courses are offered when a Professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.	Fall 2019	Friday	9:00	11:00	0101

News Mentions

CivMin Professor Shoshanna Saxe was a speaker at Climate Economy Summit

Partnerships between the public and private sectors are crucial to help the Toronto region capitalize on its strong cluster of clean energy companies, University of Toronto President Meric Gertler says. He issued the call for collaboration at the recent Climate Economy Summit, co-hosted by U of T’s Climate Positive Energy initiative and the Toronto Region Board of Trade, which… Read more »

Four CivMin grad students garner CGEN scholarships

Four CivMin graduate students have been awarded scholarships from the Centre for Global Engineering (CGEN). The feat is impressive, as half of the eight scholarships awarded have been granted to MASc and PhD candidates within the Department. A total pool of 40 applicants, representing more than a doubling of applicants since 2018, were reviewed. Our… Read more »

Large carbon footprint of new house construction mostly due to concrete basements

Analysis of 40 homes in Toronto suggests zoning and construction strategies that could reduce the environmental impact of new builds. A team of U of T Engineering researchers has some practical advice for developers, homeowners and urban planners who want to reduce their environmental impact. “Simply put, you should build as small as you… Read more »

Contact

Shoshanna Saxe
Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering
University of Toronto
35 St. George St.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M5S 1A4

Office: GB429

s.saxe@utoronto.ca