Research

Sam Labi’s research in infrastructure systems is motivated by evolving trends on the natural and anthropogenic landscapes and their interactions with infrastructure. These interactions are increasingly characterized by emergent threats (aging infrastructure, funding limitations, and infrastructure vulnerability) and opportunities (technological advancements, interdisciplinary synergies, and data analytics).

As such, his research areas include:

• Connected and automated transport systems (market forecasts, human factors, simulation, and AI-enhanced algorithms for perception, navigation, and control);
• Infrastructure preparations to support next-generation transportation systems (electric, autonomous, connected, shared, and airborne vehicles);
• Impact analysis and evaluation methodologies for innovative materials and processes in infrastructure systems;
• Legislative policy development and evaluation to foster efficient and equitable fee structures for vehicular use of highway systems;
• Methodologies and electronic tools including software packages for constrained multiple-criteria optimization of infrastructure development resources and analysis of investment performance tradeoffs;
• Infrastructure project and construction management, cost engineering, highway project finance, and transportation user equity.

Dr. Labi believes strongly in big-picture thinking. His work is geared towards development that not only fosters infrastructure resilience and economic wellbeing but also promotes sustainable development, ecological preservation, and social and environmental justice including intergenerational fairness and human dignity, and basic human rights.

“One finger cannot pick a stone.”
― Akan Proverb