This week we explore the intersection of cutting-edge technology and asphalt infrastructure with Noor Saleh, an engineer and entrepreneur from Continuum Infrastructure Solutions. Noor shares her journey from researching asphalt materials at NC State to being recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work in manufacturing and industry. The conversation highlights how the next generation of leaders are re-envisioning the pavement lifecycle through automation and advanced data analysis. Beyond technical innovations, Noor offers practical advice for early career engineers on the value of finding mentors and being an engaged mentee to drive meaningful impact. Be inspired by someone who is actively pushing the industry forward! This season is sponsored by FleetWatcher by AlignOps.
Episode released April 14, 2026.
R: A lot of people look at the construction or asphalt industry and think we're sticks in the mud, that we're not advancing technologies, we're not embracing new things, and we're doing the same things we've always done. While there are some things we're still doing the same way because it's the right way to do things, it's interesting to think about what opportunities technology can bring the industry moving forward.
B: Today, I am looking forward to learning a more about some of the opportunities to integrate technology into asphalt pavements or infrastructure on a broader level.
R: To be a part of that conversation, we've invited Noor Saleh with Continuum Infrastructure Solutions to the podcast today. Welcome, Noor. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and share a little background?
NS: Thank you for having me. My name is Noor and I am with Continuum Infrastructure Solutions. I am a pavement engineer and, more recently, an entrepreneur. I studied for my undergrad at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. At that time, I got a part-time job working in the asphalt labs. I worked with some amazing people, including graduate students, lab managers, and later, Dr. Hassan Tabatabaee. From there, I discovered my interest and passion for asphalt.
I expressed interest in doing an internship in the U.S. related to asphalt materials. I came to NC State, did an internship for three months, went back to finish my undergrad, and then returned to NC State for a full-time PhD position. I graduated in 2022, worked there for two years as a postdoc, and then formed the company.
B: You said you gained that experience working in research. What drew you to asphalt research? Was it just an opportunity, or were there specific things that drew you into the asphalt part of the engineering field?
NS: Asphalt is a very interesting material; it's not as simple as others like concrete or steel. From the time I was working as a part-timer in the labs, I could tell that there is so much that goes into building roads and infrastructure as a whole that we don't really focus on in common undergraduate courses. I was interested in the topic, so I pursued it through research as an undergrad and then into graduate school.
That is the technical standpoint, but to be honest, the people I've met who work in our industry are some of the best people I've ever met anywhere. They are all very encouraging and supportive of pursuing further opportunities, guiding you, and mentoring you on how to pursue your goals or dreams. I was inspired by those people to follow in their path to get to where I am today.
R: Earlier in your career, you did a lot of work for the Federal Highway Administration with some of the work at NC State and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. I know a lot of that focused on aging, but the research that stood out to me in your bio was on energy harvesting pavements. Can you tell me what got you into that and what it even means as we look toward energy independence in the U.S.?
NS: Energy harvesting was actually a project I did during my undergrad. To graduate, we had to do a final year project, and we decided to design and construct a full-scale section of hydronic asphalt pavements. That was back in Lebanon, where we didn't have many sources of funding or ways to get all the materials down.
In hydronic asphalt pavements, you insert pipes into the asphalt layer. You have the option to connect those pipes to a different set of pipes deeper in the soil and pass a fluid through the system. In the summer, the circulating fluid extracts heat from the asphalt layer and dumps it into the soil. Vice versa, in winter, you take the temperature from the soil and distribute it into the asphalt layer so you can melt any snow.
It was a very interesting project, especially as undergraduates. We got sponsorships from different contractors and pipe suppliers who donated materials, time, and equipment. It was very rewarding.
Regarding how energy harvesting relates to moving forward, roads cover many miles of surface area all around the world. If there is a way for us to use that massive surface area to collect energy, it can help us electrify products nearby on the sides of the highway, such as lights. I see this as the future. I don't know if it's going to be in the next 10 years or the next 50, but especially with autonomous vehicles being the future of transportation, I think having smart infrastructure to tie those innovations together is where humanity is moving.
B: You were recently recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for Manufacturing and Industry. I know there were a number of factors to get that recognition, one being the development of Pave Predict through your startup, Continuum Infrastructure Solutions. Congratulations. I'm curious if there were things that surprised you in the process of starting a new company or looking at technologies in this space. As Richard mentioned, not many people associate startups or software with the asphalt industry.
NS: Thank you. It was very validating to receive this recognition on a national scale. It is validating to see that whatever we do in our industry has a far-reaching impact on contractors, agencies, drivers, and the users of those roads.
Something that surprised me in doing this startup is figuring out how to get over hurdles that come from siloed data sources. We always have different stakeholders in charge of different steps of the pavement lifecycle, whether it's design, construction, QC, or QA. Trying to understand for a given agency how all those different offices communicate and who makes decisions about each aspect was eye-opening.
We are still navigating this, especially when developing a new product and trying to find the right market. Understanding who your customer is and who the decision-maker is requires a thorough understanding of all stakeholders and how they operate to get a product to market.
R: What do you think this recognition says about the changing image of manufacturing and infrastructure careers?
NS: At the beginning of 2025, I started paying more attention to what the Secretary of Transportation was saying about the mission of the USDOT. They were highlighting that they want to build more, build better, and build faster. They want to see aggressive change rather than just incremental change. They want to re-envision how business is done and potentially bring more private capital into the industry.
If we can provide incentives for innovation, I think people would be willing to think outside the box and figure out different sources of funding to solve the solutions that agencies are looking for. I believe our industry has a lot of room for innovation, automation, and the incorporation of newer tools such as AI and robotics. It is about figuring out how to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
B: I got to meet and work with you through the project on technology with the Airfield Asphalt Pavement Technology Program. I'm curious if you could share a little about these projects and what they are aimed at.
NS: We recently got good news about a new project in the pipeline. It is exciting because it allows us to extract more rich data from existing test methods. We can then conduct more in-depth analysis to generate insightful recommendations about material selection or pavement design.
Regarding Pave Predict, it is essentially going to create a way for us to incorporate more advanced analysis using existing test methods. We hope this can be incorporated into a bigger ecosystem that ties together Balanced Mix Design (BMD), pavement design, quality assurance, and even quality control. Having an ecosystem where you connect different data sources to generate useful insights is the long-term vision for how construction should happen.
We also heard this through the NAPA project for airfield pavement projects. Because you are working in a more contained environment, airport stakeholders are interested in concepts such as digital twins and building information modeling. They are able to collect this information to conduct pavement management more effectively and design future pavement structures and materials better.
R: We've added a few quick-fire questions to get your perspective and let us get to know you better. First, what's one skill people would expect an asphalt engineer to need?
NS: AI, artificial intelligence.
B: Lab work or business strategy?
NS: Business strategy.
R: One technology that will change the asphalt pavement industry in the next decade?
NS: Building Information Modeling and digital twins.
B: Traveling for work or working from home?
NS: A hybrid of both.
R: Paper or ebook?
NS: Ebook.
R: What advice would you give somebody early in their career who wants to have an impact on the future of infrastructure?
NS: Do something that you're passionate about and really interested in. Even if current circumstances don't allow you to do that immediately, try to position yourself so that you can do it in the future.
Another thing I would say is find mentors; there are many of them in our industry. Learn to be a good mentee. There are many seasoned people who want to share their knowledge. Sometimes they suggest scheduling a call, and I have seen people let that fall through the cracks. Be a good mentee and follow up consistently. People have knowledge to impart and may have future opportunities in mind, but they want to know the person they are dealing with and learn about their work ethic. It's about building relationships to figure out how to build products that people want.
R: Thinking back to your freshman year of college compared to today, what has surprised you the most about this industry?
NS: When I first came in as a freshman, I had no idea this industry existed. Compared to today, the people who work in this industry are what really drew me in and kept me here. I was very fortunate to work with groups at NC State and now with the company where I really enjoy the people and respect their work ethic and vision. I didn't expect to find that in my freshman year.
R: Noor, we really appreciate you spending time with us today and telling us about your journey. We wish you continued luck as you show the industry where we could be going with newer technologies.
NS: Thank you very much. I really appreciate you having me.
B: Thank you. One of the big pieces for me is how much opportunity is out there. A big part of seeing those opportunities is your relationships within the industry and seeing that there are opportunities to learn from others with different experiences.
R: My takeaway is that we talked to someone who is trying to change how the asphalt industry does business. A lot of times we think things will never change, but here is someone whose job is to enact change. When she talked about the outlook, she was optimistic. Our attitude makes a difference, and when we get together with people who are thinking differently about the future, we're more likely to make that change happen.