Nick Mace

What do you do at Mott MacDonald?

I am the regional geotechnical practice leader for our Asia Pacific, New Zealand and Australia businesses, leading project management, design and supervision of foundations, tunnels and earthworks. One of the amazing things about being a geotechnical engineer is the vast array of projects that I get to be involved with from new airport buildings to underground metro stations and road tunnels.

Tell us about your career journey

My career began in Manchester, UK in 1990 when I joined Mott MacDonald after graduating as a civil engineer. I spent a couple of years building my foundations in geotechnical and structural design before deciding to undertake a PhD in geotechnical engineering in the US. This deepened my understanding of engineering fundamentals, seismic design, liquefaction induced ground deformation and important intricacies of research. I also had teaching duties, which were incredibly useful in learning how to effectively convey complex concepts to others.

In 2000 I returned to Mott MacDonald in the UK working on a range of road and rail projects before moving to Singapore in 2002 to work as a geotechnical team leader on an incredible underground road called the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway. This was the beginning of the next two decades of working with the complex and highly variable ground conditions of Singapore and the wider region which range from hard rock to soft marine clay. Projects that I have been proud to work on include the five-lane design and build project for the Marina Coastal Expressway; station and tunnel design for the Thomson-East Coast Line of the Singapore Metro; reclamation work on Hong Kong International Airport’s third runway and advising on Changi Airport’s new terminal building.

I think it is really important to share best practice and lessons learned from the projects that we work on and so I regularly produce academic papers and give presentations to industry.

How do you contribute to Mott MacDonald making a difference to people and planet?

Using technical expertise to make a real difference to people’s lives is really what drives me. Being involved in major civil engineering projects puts me in a position to be able to influence their design and construction to make sure they are as sustainable as possible.

Do you have a mantra you live by or that motivates you?

I think it is important to keep a questioning mindset and have an open culture. Can we innovate? Can we overcome inertia? Can we improve on what is state of the art today? And this also means using our judgment to balance this against any constraints that we face.

Describe your role on a transformative project

The Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway was a pivotal project because it brought me to Singapore. It was also one of the most challenging projects in the world at the time. It required design and construction of a 12km road with 9km of it underground. We succeeded in creating the six-lane expressway in very poor ground, beneath the Geylang River whilst avoiding an array of existing infrastructure and protecting adjacent buildings.