23 September 2025
Everyone knows that the construction industry is a huge ship, very difficult to manoeuver. So, just imagine the importance of management and planning on a construction site. This is where Stéphane Morin Pépin, professor of Construction Engineering at ÉTS, comes in. “How can we sequence the work based on spatial-temporal planning?” asks the engineer.
Normally, contractors list the steps to be carried out using the tools at their disposal, including specialized software, spreadsheets and diagrams. However, this process does not always account for possible congestion in work areas, which can lead to delays and increased risks.
Stéphane Morin-Pépin’s expertise is planning through dynamic occupancy rate management. This involves dividing the construction project into two elements. First, the available space on-site is assessed and divided into subspaces. Second, a list of all the teams is prepared, the space required for them to carry out their work is calculated, and then they are assigned a specific area and schedule. This method allows the workforce to rotate between different areas of the site and enables optimal use of the site.
Stéphane gradually developed an interest in site management. In the early 2000s, his family founded a small construction company. Stéphane began his career there, then decided to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program in construction engineering at ÉTS.
After graduating in 2014, Stéphane worked for several years in large companies. “Planning and monitoring schedules was a challenge for me as a project manager,” he admits. He wanted to learn more about management, especially as BIM (Building Information Modeling) was gaining popularity in the industry. Stéphane began his master’s degree in construction project management at ÉTS and fast-tracked to a PhD program thanks to his exceptional academic record.
An Academic Career Aided by a Dedicated Mentor
Stéphane had the good fortune to meet Adel Francis, a specialist in chronographic modeling, who became his research supervisor. Professor Francis provided him with advice and support throughout his graduate studies. “I wouldn’t be here without him,” says Stéphane Morin Pépin. The PhD student worked with his mentor to develop and implement a procedure for dynamically calculating the occupancy rate of a construction site. Stéphane earned his PhD in 2024 and took up a position as professor of Construction Engineering at ÉTS the following year.
Preparing Now for the Future
For Professor Morin Pépin, research and teaching are closely linked. Current research topics can be transformed into teaching material in five to ten years. It is this process that makes the academic environment interesting, in his opinion. In addition, students who have gained experience with the latest tools will be able to share this knowledge with industry. These two entities work in synergy.
ÉTS professor Stéphane Morin-Pépin
Maintaining Dialogue With Industry
Stéphane finds that creating an effective tool or application requires constant dialogue with people in the field. This provides a better understanding of their needs and, consequently, of the adjustments that need to be made. Each project is a prototype. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. A small contractor renovating a house does not have the same requirements as a company building a condo tower or repairing a bridge. Sometimes the tools available to engineers are not enough, and they have to create new ones. “You have to think outside the box,” says Professor Morin-Pépin. That’s what he would like ÉTS students to take away from his teachings.
Of course, changing work methods requires time and collaboration from all partners. But if the application is suitable for projects with significant space constraints, companies will want to adopt it. “Everyone agrees that managing space effectively leads to better site management,” summarizes Stéphane Morin Pépin.
