Zapata Incorporated

Research and Development Support
ZAPATA is actively involved in research and development and transfer of advanced technologies to commercial use. We are currently developing forensic technologies for the U.S. Air Force under the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program to identify groundwater pollution sources using radio-isotope decay signatures. Another project completed this past year for NS Tech, a DOE operations and maintenance contractor, involved the innovative use of a fully autonomous robotic vehicle to map unexploded ordnance and radiological hazards on a munitions test range. The use of the autonomous robot reduced the exposure of personnel to the high hazard environment as well as improved production rates which resulted in lower project costs.

Engineering Support
ZAPATA possesses the full spectrum of engineering capabilities to include environmental engineering and remediation; structural, civil, geotechnical, mechanical, and electrical engineering; systems engineering; robotics engineering; anti-terrorism/force protection engineering. We are proficient in conducting investigations, remedial designs, and remedial actions for sites with Hazardous Toxic and Radiological Waste (HTRW), Chemical Warfare Material (CWM), and Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) contaminants. Our Professional Engineers regularly complete the design of vertical and horizontal structures; perform forensic engineering, remedial designs, and structural repairs; develop installation master plans and installation management tools; and the design, clearance, and construction of training ranges for a variety of USACE Districts and USAF clients both CONUS and OCONUS. Our system engineering capability is centered on the integration of radio frequency identification (RFID) and real time location systems (RTLS) to improve management processes and asset visibility.

Modeling
We model blast loading events and the performance of structures subject to dynamic loads using single and multiple degree of freedom tools and FEM programs, ground water contaminant transport with 3-D ArcGIS software, and subsurface geological features using geophysical software packages developed in-house and through commercial and government sources. Blast modeling has been performed in support of anti-terrorism/force protection activities and primarily for commercial infrastructure.

Prototyping
RedZone was tasked to develop a low cost, appliqué sensor pod that could be mounted to a wide variety of tactical military vehicles. The pod was required to support 3-D laser scanning, inertial sensing, and internal computing. The pod acts as an Ethernet appliance and has applications in low speed autonomous navigation, navigation without GPS, and terrain mapping. The scope of the work performed was to construct and deliver three Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) units to the sponsor. In the course of the effort 7 units where assembled: 1) a single initial concept prototype in the first 45 days of the effort, 2) three “beta” units that were product concept demonstrators, and 3) three LRIP units. These units were recently delivered to the government. In addition to the hardware, the data acquisition software and documentation, including requirements, detailed design specifications, software interface documentation were provided to the government. The design work for these units included mechanical, electrical, and software development. Our extensive network of manufacturing partners was used for most of the mechanical components, with the software and electrical implementations constructed in house.

System Design Documentation and Technical Data Support
ZAPATA has developed several handheld applications for data acquisition as well as major software packages that require design documentation and technical data support. Recent development projects include the design and implementation of a community health monitoring tool, called the Medical Online Surveillance Tool (MOST); Digital Dig Sheet; Backflow Prevention Monitoring Tool; Human Resource Management System (HRMS); and Drawing Room Management Tool. Each of these software packages required documentation for maintenance and continued development. In the case of MOST, a community of two million people relied on the system for early reporting of community health issues. Numerous organizations provided daily automatic updates so that statistical analysis could be performed on the syndromic information. Because of the complexity of the system, design documentation was essential to the continued development that took place over a four year period.

Software Engineering, Development, Programming and Network Support
ZAPATA has developed software packages for both internal use and DOD and commercial clients. Our programming staff has extensive experience programming in C+, C++, and C #, Visual Basic, Java, JavaScript, Cold Fusion, and Access. We have experience working with Microsoft SQL servers and Oracle databases. We have created programs in ESRI’s ArcGIS and created web-based GIS project management tools for both internal management and client project visibility. The MOST system, described above, required extensive planning, designing, coding, testing, integration with multiple users and data sources, algorithm development for multivariable statistical analysis, web interfaces for epidemiologists, security protocols, and hosting the database, application, and web services in a virtual server environment.

System Safety Engineering Support
We have developed an inspection, education, and risk mitigation program to help DOD and commercial clients meet the provisions of NFPA 70E (Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace). Every employer who permits personnel to work on energized systems requires an Arc Flash Hazard Assessment. ZAPATA is one of the first companies to offer a full service Arc Flash hazard program that incorporates an Arc Flash labeling program, documentation, personal protective equipment plan, hazard reduction action plan, training, and continuous process improvement.

Quality Assurance Support
We routinely provide Quality Assurance Support to our architectural and engineering design projects by providing engineering review to construction efforts associated with each design. The project highlighted in Table A specifically relates to a program oversight task where ZAPATA provided on-the-ground program monitoring support in Iraq to the Captured Enemy Ammunition program. As part of this program, ZAPATA personnel assured that government contractors followed appropriate procedures for the demolition and handling of ammunition and that appropriate records were kept of the operation.

Information System Development, Information Assurance, and Information Technology Support
Our information technology support capabilities include the design, installation, and maintenance of Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN) for corporate and branch office locations including network equipment such as firewalls, servers, email DNS, web database servers, and wireless networks. We have developed and maintained web sites and associated hardware for internal and external clients including a corporate marketing website, internal resource websites, NC MOST, Camp Croft public relations website, National Association of Ordnance Contractors, and multiple GIS websites for remote project management and client information access on MEC projects. We have developed websites to interface with existing third party database applications. We have performed custom integration of designed websites with existing database applications at military installations in the Southeast.

Inactivation and Disposal Support
ZAPATA has been involved in the inactivation of formerly used defense sites (FUDS) through our munitions and explosives of concern activities. We have cleaned up numerous weapons ranges in preparation for release to the local communities. We are proficient with the safe handling and disposal of both conventional and chemical warfare munitions. For each MEC project, we also manage the disposal of munitions scrap. At our range clearance project in Schofield Barracks, HI, we collected and disposed of over three million pounds of munitions scrap.

Training Support
We have conducted training for DOD and federal clients in a wide variety of areas. We have trained engineers for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state Departments of Transportation (DOT) on the use of geophysics for geotechnical investigations, Air Force personnel on hand held applications and software tools we designed for base maintenance, and trained Air Force personnel on the use of specialized global positioning equipment. Our team of engineers and scientists routinely deliver educational presentations at professional conferences in the areas of geophysics, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, munitions and explosives of concern, and robotics engineering. Many members of our team are former and current university professors and military veterans with several years of training support experience.

Public Affairs and Multimedia Support
Public affairs and community relations are a big part of our MEC program. In the last three years, we have been contracted to complete three major public awareness projects to keep local communities informed of munitions clean-up activities in their areas. The projects included the creation and maintenance of a public website, town hall meetings, direct mail announcements and periodic articles that addressed safety issues and community concerns. In the last three years, we have conducted more than 30 Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meetings, which are public outreach and training sessions, to inform and engage communities in restoration activities.