Publications
The publishing activities of the Documentation, Archives and Heritage Department are at the heart of the École nationale des ponts et chaussées' mission to disseminate scientific knowledge and promote its educational productions. This includes the publication of the journal Transitions. The new Annales des ponts et chaussées, monographs, collective or mediation works, manuals and the Mastère Spécialisé® yearbooks.
The publishing activity carried out within the Department of Documentation, Archives, and Heritage lies at the heart of the mission of scientific outreach and the promotion of educational output at the École nationale des ponts et chaussées. This includes the publication of the annual journal Transitions. Les nouvelles Annales des ponts et chaussées.
Created in 2021, the journal aims to disseminate and transmit scientific knowledge in the form of a mook—a hybrid object situated between a magazine and a book. It seeks to reach both the scientific and academic community, as well as a broader audience.
Each issue is rooted in the research conducted at the School. The selected themes are grounded in current debates, particularly those related to ecological and environmental transitions, and are approached from a multidisciplinary perspective (technical and applied sciences, humanities and social sciences, etc.). In addition to in-depth articles written by scientists and specialists, an artist contributes their talents to visually express the key themes of each publication.
 | The issues of climate change, social justice and changing lifestyles pose major challenges for scientists and decision-makers in the field of passenger transport. Whilst transport accounts for a significant proportion of emissions and environmental damage, it also represents a field for technical, social and organisational innovation. Drawing on the multidisciplinary expertise of the École nationale des ponts et chaussées and contributions from researchers from a variety of backgrounds, this issue of Transitions aims to explore the complexity of these changes through three complementary strands: decision-support tools (models, indicators, assessment methods), the role of digital technology, and transition pathways. Original articles, interviews, scientific analyses and forward-looking perspectives will provide a rich and nuanced overview of the issues at stake. Whether addressing the health impacts of unregulated pollutants, the rise of active mobility, the role of artificial intelligence, assessment methods or new transport models, this issue aims to provide clear guidance through a systemic approach to these issues, thereby contributing to a debate that is often fragmented. To be published on 22 October 2026. |
 | Understanding climate and hydrological dynamics, ways of dealing with risks and pollution, uses of this fragile resource, and new sustainable solutions: 23 contributions allow us to navigate through the many facets that the issue of water invites us to explore in a school of infrastructure and development such as ours, at a time when it is urgent to adapt our living environments to the present and future effects of the ecological crisis.
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 | The global disruption to which the planet is exposed as a result of human activity has pushed us into a corner. In order to make life compatible with planetary boundaries, this issue examines possible paths for future socio-ecological futures. Technological innovation alone, and the idea of a decoupling between the intensity of human activities and their impact on the earth, will not be enough to make life compatible with planetary boundaries. Based on this observation, this issue of Transitions magazine considers that a major evolution in production and consumption systems is unavoidable. In fact, in the very short term, such is the alarming state of affairs. Climate, biodiversity, chemical contaminants, water resources: with their backs to the wall, the world of research and higher education is analyzing, examining and communicating possible paths for the socio-ecological future. Models, counter-views, territories, actions: four themes bring together 26 contributions from specialists at the crossroads of the humanities, social sciences and environmental sciences.
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| Simulation science on the one hand, and data science on the other, are the two facets of modern digital science. Based on modeling, mathematical analysis and the power of modern computers, they enable us to analyze, predict and even control complex physical processes. They have established themselves as a third pillar of scientific research, complementing theoretical model development and experimental research. As a result, they have become indispensable in many scientific fields. The fields of study linked to the ecological transition are no exception. The problems they raise are inherently complex. Multi-physical and difficult to calibrate, they involve numerous uncertain or random parameters, and can generate or rely on massive data. Interfaces with the human and social sciences are fundamental to determining the constraints of the underlying optimization questions. This new issue of Transitions examines the impact of data science and digital simulation on three of the major challenges characterizing the ecological transition: mobility and transport, climate and the environment, and energy production and supply.
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| Faced with the urgent need to protect the environment, the building and construction sector, which has a particularly significant impact on the environment, must embark on a transition. Over and above the need to renovate, we need to rethink the act of building. What levers for action are available to industry players? Systemic quantification, optimizing design to save materials, new construction materials and processes, adapting buildings to climate change, circularity and reuse are just some of the possibilities. This new issue of Transitions takes a closer look at these issues, and examines the problem of transition at every stage of a structure's life cycle. Beyond this, it also raises the question of a systemic approach and, in the background, of the necessary collaboration of all stakeholders. Experts, researchers, industry professionals and others share their research findings and feedback. By taking stock of the current situation, this opus aims to contribute to general reflection, whether collective or individual.
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 | How should green finance be defined? What does the commitment to this new paradigm imply for companies, public authorities, and individuals? The 2021 edition of Transitions provides answers to these questions. Franck Bancel has assembled nearly twenty expert contributions in four sections. Throughout the pages, professionals, researchers, and teachers express their views on the major issues of green finance, which raises questions about the future of their field. Illustrations by Clément Vuillier accompany the articles, giving substance to a theme that may seem abstract. You can freely consult a few articles in HAL:
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Les Presses des Ponts and the Documentation, Archives and Heritage Department support and co-edit the production and publication of various types of books, as part of the École's mission to disseminate scientific and technical knowledge, as well as Open Science in the university context. This commitment is reflected in the five collections managed by Presses des Ponts: "Beaux livres", Essays, Manuals, Scientific and technical, Humanities and social sciences.
The Metro: Urban Transformation in Motion From the very first ground-breaking, the construction of the Paris Metro was systematically documented through photography. This practice served a dual purpose: to reassure investors and elected representatives that the project was progressing smoothly, and to preserve a record of this major upheaval. Publication date: 12/03/2026 | |
The Ruler and the Quill: Jean-Rodolphe Perronet and the Students of the École des Ponts et Chaussées in the 18th Century Established by royal decree in 1747, the École nationale des Ponts et Chaussées is today one of France’s oldest grandes écoles. Whilst the school’s foundation is well documented, its students themselves remain largely unknown. The modernist historian Stéphane Blond draws on previously unpublished sources to conduct a study of some 800 students: those who attended Perronet’s office. Publication date: 11/19/2026 | |
 | The ecological emergency has a thousand faces: global warming, the collapse of Publishing date: 09/03/2026 |
 | Lighthouses, bridges, and other engineering structures... the “model gallery,” mainly composed of models of buildings constructed by civil engineers, was housed by the École nationale des ponts et chaussées (National School of Civil Engineering) from its creation in 1747 until its demolition in 1954.The collections of this gallery-museum, now scattered or lost, showcased the grandeur of the engineers' achievements, as well as the evolution of the techniques used in their construction. They also constituted a central educational resource in the teaching of the 18th and 19th centuries. The few traces that remain, some of which are gathered here, provide an overview of these tools, which were figurative, educational, and also artistic. The “Histoire(s) de fonds” collection aims to immerse you in the heritage collections of the École nationale des ponts et chaussées: manuscripts, photographs, books, models, scientific instruments, engravings, and more, bear witness to a rich history of science and technology as well as public policies on land use and infrastructure. Publishing date : 12/04/2025 |
 | Eleonora Dallan and Auguste Gires, researchers in hydrometeorology, tell us about a common phenomenon that we all experience, one that is essential to our lives but ultimately little known: rain. Throughout the book, structured like an imaginary walk, authors Eleonora and Auguste guide us to different “stops” focused on specific themes related to rain. Through situations that everyone may encounter in their daily lives, they aim to raise awareness of this phenomenon, decipher it, and better understand it and its immediate consequences. It is also an opportunity to revisit certain preconceived ideas and show rain in a new light! Publishing date : 11/20/2025 |
 | For the first time, this book traces the history of organic waste management in the Greater Paris area, from the Ancien Régime to the present day, and presents a richly illustrated and educational account. It traces the close relationship between city dwellers and their organic waste over several centuries, highlighting the variety of organizations and practices, and the difficulties encountered in achieving objectives that are regularly called into question. The story takes us back to medieval Paris, where pigs and poultry feed on organic matter in the streets. Over the centuries, as urban development progressed, traffic problems, epidemics and the need to beautify the city led the authorities to gradually set up a public waste management service. In the 19th century, a wide range of processes for recycling urban organic matter fed agriculture, crafts and industry. This book invites us to discover - beyond the Prefect Poubelle's famous garbage bin and the work of the ragpickers - the variety of inventions and practices of the period: Tournon's garbage cover, Father Chapelier's bread crust recycling processes, the production of luxury gloves from rat skins, and farmers' enthusiasm for Parisian sludge. At a time when biowaste return-to-soil systems are enjoying a new lease of life, this journey back in time is intended as a contribution to today's debates on the relationship between the city and the flows of organic matter that sustain its functioning. This technical journey, the fruit of research carried out in partnership between Syctom and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, is characterized by both its scientific rigor and its accessibility to the general public. Publication date : 09/19/2024 |
 | The Mastère Spécialisé® in Rail and Urban Transport Systems (MS-STFU) is a high-level diploma program created in 2008 in partnership between the School, INSA Hauts de France and Compiègne University of Technology. The course is designed to train managers and specialists in the fields of rail and urban transport, both in France and internationally, offering a systems vision in conjunction with companies in the sector. The aim of this book is to capitalize on the Master's program by bringing together in a single document the richness of the various course modules. Composed of chapters written by the Master's teachers, mainly professionals, and reflecting the richness of the teaching provided, it will enable readers to approach the sector not only in its technical aspects, but also in its economic ones. A chapter is also devoted to the history of railroad education at the Ponts et Chaussés. Publication date: 01/01/2024 |
 | The writing of these short stories forms part of a cross-language and cross-course project (French as a Foreign Language and Spanish) led by the Languages and Cultures Department, which aims to build multicultural bridges through collective creative writing. The texts brought together in this collection mark the fifth year of this initiative. |
 | The writing of the short stories is part of an inter-language and inter-course project carried out in two courses of the Languages and Cultures Department: “Créer et raconter des récits” (FLE) and “Escribir y narrar relatos” (Spanish), taught respectively by Isabelle Salengros and Mariluz Di Tillio. The aim is to build multicultural bridges between students through creative group writing. The short stories in this collection are part of the fourth year of the project, based this time on the theme of “Surprises of the Living”, to take part in the Institut Polytechnique de Paris advanced short story competition. Two of these short stories were chosen as finalists. The student writers were inspired by a reading in Spanish and French of excerpts from a novel by Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda. They created texts imbued with magical realism, a strong relationship with nature and resistance to its destruction. |
Since 2017, the Yearbook collection has been promoting the work of students (research papers, professional theses, PFE) from some of the School's Mastère Spécialisé® to partners.
 | IBD Yearbook ISSN : 2801-9091 In 2020, the MS® Sustainable Real Estate and Building (IBD), directed by Dominique Naert, transformed its traditional study tour into a webinar, giving the floor to speakers from around the world. Based on the speakers' presentations, 39 students from three classes of the MS® wrote analyses comparing the low-carbon strategies of different countries on five continents: it is these academic productions from this first Yearbook of the MS® IBD written in French and English, that show the breadth and depth of the reflections of these professionals, who are the bearers of future developments in real estate and building. |
 | STFU Yearbook ISSN : 2609-3111 The MS STFU Yearbook highlights the English summaries of the students' mini-theses. |
 | AMUR Yearbook ISSN : 2650-9830 The MS AMUR Yearbook highlights the summaries of professional theses produced by each group, commissioned by a private or public organization. |