Building bridges is important in any job, metaphorically speaking, but for civil engineers like Max Guan, there’s nothing metaphorical about it.
Guan graduated from McMaster in 2020 with a degree in civil engineering, and his career has already taken him to international success after working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. Having earned his Professional Engineers (PE) license in the United States, Guan currently works as a Bridge Engineer at AECOM based in Detroit, Michigan. AECOM is a leading global infrastructure consulting firm with planners, designers, engineers, and program and construction managers in more than 150 countries worldwide.
(Photo courtesy of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project)
As the son of two civil engineers, it may seem like an obvious career choice, but Guan disagrees. It was during his time at McMaster that Guan connected with fellow students, professors and mentors in the discipline who helped him understand the important role engineers play in society.
It’s a noble profession. It’s about helping people in need and finding innovative solutions to everyday challenges. It just felt like the right path to take.
The variety of learning experiences available to Guan as a McMaster Engineering student helped him decide which professional path was best. Chief among these was 24 months of co-op experience at four different companies.
“It was a very good learning experience and taught me about what I do and don’t want from my future workplace,” Guan says. “It definitely made me better prepared for the workforce.”
While a student, Guan participated in multiple events that allowed him to grow and develop his skills. Of note was the Troitsky Bridge Building Competition, where student teams build bridges exclusively made from popsicle sticks, toothpicks, white glue and dental floss.
“It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Guan says with a smile.
Using innovative design techniques, Guan’s team built a bridge that held the equivalent of 3168 pounds of force. His team placed third in the North America-wide competition, and left knowing they utilized their education to devise unique solutions.
After graduation, Guan soon found himself working on bridges made from materials a little stronger than popsicle sticks. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a $6.4 billion (CDN) infrastructure project, creating an important new international trade route. AECOM is the lead designer/design manager on this massive project that includes the bridge, the Canadian and U.S Ports of Entry and a new interchange on Interstate-75 in Michigan.
Guan worked on Load Transfer Platforms as part of the construction process. “It’s a very small part of a very small part of a very big project,” Guan says. “It’s a humbling experience to think that I did get to touch a little piece of it.”
No matter the size of the project, Guan knows that the skills from school will carry him forward. “It all starts from the McMaster Engineering spirit. You solve problems, you don’t give up, you take on the challenge no matter what.”
For Guan, being involved in a major infrastructure project has helped him redefine his own career goals.
Instead of working on one big bridge in my lifetime, I’d love to work on an entire stretch of highway and design or refurbish every bridge so they are up to code. If I can make it safer for everybody, that helps me sleep well at night.