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Engineering |
ERT performs a broad spectrum of engineering services including system engineering; electrical, mechanical, and radio engineering; mission-oriented software engineering; safety engineering; facility engineering; and geotechnical engineering.
- System Engineering: Our electrical, mechanical and radio engineers support National Weather Service in the development, integration, testing, operations and maintenance of environmental sensor systems including weather radars, wind profilers, automated surface observing systems, balloon-launched radiosondes, and precision digital barometers. We provide engineering support to weather watch, warning and forecast dissemination and public alert systems. We develop and maintain engineering documentation essential to the successful operations and maintenance of such systems. We also perform the engineering study of the interfaces and standards to be standardized and develop the process for adoption and approval of Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) data systems standards.
- Mission-Oriented Software Engineering: Our software engineers and scientists support Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) maintenance and development. We are responsible for software development and maintenance for ECS storage management subsystem full-cycle re-implementation, archive capacity upgrade, product distribution subsystem development and maintenance, database storage procedure development, test engineering support and environment management. We develop, maintain, and provide user support to the Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) data and metadata usability tools. The tools are used for data and metadata conversion; XML activities for HDF-EOS and ECD data model; data and metadata viewing, validation, and updating; and web-based data discovery and access prototyping. We also develop and/or document NPOESS data product style guide and format, metadata standards, and ancillary and auxiliary data formats. We operate, maintain and enhance web-enabled OLAP-based budget formulation and tracking applications, Oracle-based applications, as well as other financial and administrative applications and Oracle data warehouse for NWS CFO
- Safety Engineering: Our safety engineers provide safety engineering support to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and National Weather Service. We review facility drawings to identify potential safety hazards and to ensure the incorporation of safety and fire protection requirements. We conduct building and laboratory surveys and inspections to ensure compliance with safety standards and criteria. We perform system and sub-system hazard analysis; assess building code compliance; and conduct construction job-site safety surveys and acceptance walk-through. We investigate and track mishaps and incidents and verify hazard resolution and the safety of construction operations. We develop, review, coordinate, and deliver general industry and construction safety education classes and awareness programs.
- Facility Engineering: Our civil and mechanical engineers provide facility engineering support to National Weather Service in construction management, facility design management and oversight, logistics management and depot support to National Weather Service. We monitor engineering designs, program schedules and costs.
- Geotechnical Engineering: Our geotechnical engineers, geologists and geophysicists provide geotechnical engineering support to Marine Corps, Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Transportation, airport authorities, municipalities, and engineering companies. We perform bearing capacity and load test evaluations; conduct settlement, pavement, foundation, slope stabilization, and seepage analyses; oversee soil drilling, rock coring, and test pitting; conduct geologic studies including fracture trace analysis; and perform geophysical surveys to determine the depth to and rippability of bedrock, and to detect and map underground structures and cavities.
