Gordon MacDonald Discusses Stormwater Design at WEFTEC 2017

During WEFTEC 2017 session 415, Gordon MacDonald will talk about solutions to stormwater implemented while building a floating bridge in Washington state. Photo courtesy of MacDonald.

During Session No. 415, A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Stormwater Design Out of This World, Gordon MacDonald will talk about stormwater challenges encountered during the design and construction of one of the longest floating bridges in the world, located in Washington state.

MacDonald, a senior consultant and project manager at Parametrix (Seattle), has spent the past 29 years contributing to transportation projects. He worked for more than 11 years on this floating bridge. It was constructed by the Washington State Department of Transportation as part of the $4.56 billion State Route 520 Bridge Replacement and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Program.

Engineers, designers, and other attendees involved in policy and planning are encouraged to attend the session for a unique perspective on how to respond to difficult settings by thinking outside the box. 

• What are the key takeaways from your presentation?

The longest floating bridge in the world has some unique stormwater challenges and innovative solutions.

What do you do if the standard stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) don’t work? AKART – All Known, Available, and Reasonable methods of prevention, control and Treatment – is an option for use when standard BMPs don’t apply to your project.

• What or who inspired you to get into this sector?

As a child, I played in the sandbox or on the beach and created roads, canals, dams, and other public works. I discovered as a teenager that I could continue to play in the sandbox as a civil engineer. Since then, I have worked on some fascinating projects. I am still playing in [progressively] bigger sandboxes.

• How do you pass on that inspiration to others?

I enjoy making presentations at conferences and with professional organizations showing the fascinating projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on. My hope is that the presentations could have an inspirational impact on people. Perhaps they will see their challenges differently and will be able to come up with solutions.

Learn more about other featured WEFTEC 2017 speakers by searching for the keyword WEFTEC17Speakers.