Acknowledgements 

I would like to thank those who made it possible for me to attend MIT, for their great support and 

inspiration: 

Mr. Ivan Karlin of Holderbank Engineering, Canada 

Prof. Dr. Ing. Stefan Holzer of the University of Stuttgart, Germany 

MIT is an amazing place to be, and I am very grateful for the fantastic year I have spent here. 

My special thanks go to: 

Dr. George Kocur of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

The case study presented in Chapter 4 was conducted in close collaboration with the 

Department of Public Works of the Town of Arlington. Special thanks to: 

Mr. Ron Santosuosso of the Engineering Division 

Special thanks to my family and my girlfriend Grace for their ongoing support and love! 

4