Our Team:

Rafael (Ray) Valdes - Owner/President

Licensed Contractor: specializing in building construction, demolition, welding, pipeline welding/underwater pipeline welding, underwater/structural inspection, pipeline inspection, salvaging, slip lining, rehabilitation, bridge inspection, offshore platform inspection and maintenance;

Provided disaster and recovery inspection and demolition services following Hurricane Katrina; Projects included demolition work for/CDM (Camp Dresser Makee)/Louisiana Land Trust and fabrication for Veolia Water and the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board;

Organized multiple labor crews with a proven track record of completing difficult projects on schedule and budget; Ability to work with limited support or supervision where self-reliance and critical thinking are required; Excellent communication skills, a professional attitude and firm personality to see tough jobs through independently or as a team member. I am the sole owner of this company that is DBE and SLDBE Certified;

Certified Welder: worked on job sites in the New Orleans area to include: Xavier University, Orleans Parish Sheriff, Baptist Hospital: Pipe welding; structural welding of piping systems. General understanding of reading and interpreting blue prints, lay outs and fit assemblies. Good skills with various welding processes. Correctly use measuring devices required to perform all duties and apply proper safety requirements at all job sites;

Commercial Diver/Welder for McDermott International: U.S., Bahamas (Freeport), Africa (Nigeria), Angola (Zaire) and Lebanon/Middle East; Assisted with land based operations, installed and welded pipe in underwater trenches; Diving duties included gas dives to depths of 300 feet, air dives to 180 feet, salvaged vessels and cargo, repaired platforms/platform risers underwater and performed rescue recovery missions; Thirteen years of experience in operations dealing with pipeline welding, crane operation, rigger and management coordination and troubleshooting for McDermott International with a proven track record of completing difficult projects on schedule in harsh and hazardous environments.

U.H. Services Group was awarded an 8a certification in 2015. We are ready to work with you on your Federal Projects!

Phillip Sauser, PE - Owner/President - Engineering Division

General Background: Employed as a Structural Engineer with the US Army Corps of Engineers for over 32 years. Responsibilities included development, implementation, and maintenance of the USACE Hydraulic Steel Structures (HSS) Program and Bridge Safety Program, design and evaluation of flood control, navigation, and other water control projects, design and evaluation of HSS and bridges, and inspection of HSS, bridges, and dams. Also served as the USACE National Technical Specialist for Bridge Safety and Technical Focus Team leader for the USACE HSS and Bridge Safety Programs.

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering – South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota, 1986

Master of Science in Civil Engineering – University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1989

Technical Expertise: Specialties include bridge inspections and evaluations and design and evaluation of Hydraulic Steel Structures (HSS). Tasks include inspections, designs, and evaluations of bridges and HSS and reviews of inspections, designs, and evaluations of bridges and HSS for others; training in the fields of bridge and HSS inspections and evaluations; QA shop fabrication reviews; fatigue and fracture evaluations; and, development of database applications for evaluation and reporting of bridges and HSS.

Special assignments and projects:

USACE Guidance: Provided technical input to HQUSACE on the development of policy guidelines related to bridge inspection, evaluation, maintenance, and repair in compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). Provided technical input to Headquarters (HQ)USACE on the development of policy guidelines related to design, inspection, evaluation, and repair of HSS. Responsibilities and accomplishments include:

  • Team Member, development of USACE guidance documents EM 1110-2-2709, Design of Spillway Tainter Gates; EM 1110-2-2104, Strength Design For Hydraulic-Concrete Structures; EM 1110-2-2703, Lock Gates and Operating Equipment; and UFGS 05 50 05, Fabrication of Hydraulic Steel Structures

  • Team Leader, development of USACE guidance documents ER 1110-2-111, Periodic Safety Inspection and Continuing Evaluation of USACE Bridges (3 revisions); ER 1110-2-8157, Responsibility for Hydraulic Steel Structures; EM 1110-2-1102, Inspection and Evaluation of USACE Bridges; EM 1110-2-2107 and EM 1110-2-6054, Inspection, Evaluation and Repair of Hydraulic Steel Structures; USACE Fatigue and Fracture Library, and standard bridge inspection plans and reports and other documents.

  • Development of inspection procedures for HSS

  • Development of procedures for tracking and ranking maintenance and repairs of bridges

  • Development of procedures for evaluating bridges for risk and reliability,

  • Development of procedures for conducting seismic evaluation of bridges,

  • Development of the USACE Element Level Inspection Pocket Manual,

  • Investigation & implementation of advanced testing procedures (unknown foundations & unknown reinforcement and prestressing, embedded anchors, ultrasonic examination of defects in steel, underwater imaging, high resolution photogrammetry).

USACE Training: National Highway Institute (NHI) Certified Instructor. Identified training needs to maintain USACE Bridge inspector and engineer qualifications. Developed, implemented and presented, with over 1,000 hours of classroom time, USACE bridge and HSS training. The purpose of the training is to promote industry best practices and innovative inspection and evaluation techniques to maintain safe inventories. The result of this training is that USACE is able to develop and maintain expertise in these topics in accordance with the latest technical standards. Also organized and led several HSS workshops, and presented numerous bridge and HSS topics at USACE and other conferences and meetings.

 Work for HQUSACE:

  • Assist HQUSACE in development and implementation of the USACE Bridge Safety Program.

  • Conducted multiple inspections, evaluations, and designs, including development of plans and specifications, of various types of HSS and conduced quality control and quality assurance reviews of same. Also conducted multiple quality assurance reviews for steel structures during the process of construction.

  • Conducted multiple bridge designs, bridge retrofits and repairs, review of bridge designs and retrofits, construction inspections, and associated complex structural analyses.

  • Consult on interpretation and implementation of USACE policy and guidelines on HSS designs, fabrications, evaluations, and inspections for other Districts.

  • Led USACE Bridge Safety Program efforts for response to FHWA Technical Advisory 5140.27 - Immediate Inspection of Deck Truss Bridges Containing Fracture Critical Members (FCM).

  • Primary developer and manager of the Corps of Engineers Bridge Inventory System (CEBIS), the USACE web-based Bridge Safety Program database

 Work for Other Agencies:

  • Review of CALTRANS San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge rehabilitation and replacement project.

  • Development of inspection procedures for FAA towers.

  • Review state inspection and load rating procedures for the USDOT OIG audit of FHWA oversight of state bridge inspection programs.

  • Review of FHWA VE Policy Implementation for the USDOT OIG.

  • Review of the Federal Railway Agency (FRA) oversight of railroad bridges for the USDOT OIG.

  • Inspection and evaluation of Army and Air Force bridges.

  • Support for the Department of Energy (DOE) bridge safety program.

  • Assist the State Department in outreach to developing countries for bridge program development.

  • Technical assistance to the National Science Foundation on the Arecibo Observatory cable failures.

Publications:

  • Coauthor, ERDC/ITL Publication TR-09-4, A System for Collecting and Compiling Condition Data for Hydraulic Steel Structures for Use in the Assessment of Risk and Reliability and Prioritization of Maintenance and Repairs.

  • Coauthor, AWS Publication, Fitness for Purpose Evaluation of Hydraulic Steel Structures.

  • Coauthor, S-Brite Report, Fatigue and Fracture Library for the Inspection, Evaluation, and Repair of Vehicular Steel Bridges.

Awards:

  • Department of the Army Meritorious Civilian Service Medal

  • Us Army Corps of Engineers inaugural Bridge Safety Engineer of the Year, 2020

Michael Ehlers - Safety Assurance and general manager of dive operations

Building of Saturation Diving equipment since 1980: environmental units, hot water units, air compressors, gas compressors, reclaim units, electrical systems, chambers, diving bells, dive hats, dive hoses, control consoles, and design, building and refurbishment of equipment. The equipment complies with: US Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Lloyds of London (Lloyds), Rina, International Maritime Contractors Association (IMCA), American Society of Mechanical Engineers Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy (ASME-PVHO), and British Standard (BS-5500). Licensed mechanic and a certified Airframe and Power plant Mechanic licensed by the FAA; previously worked for Jay Ray McDermott, Cal Dive International, Superior Diving, Legacy Offshore, opened own business named Saturation Services, and presently working for Sea Tech Industries.

Licensed Federal Aviation Association: handling high pressure gasses, refrigeration, engine theory and maintenance, tube bending, hydraulics and pneumatics, safe handling of chemicals, maintenance and inspection training of which all crossed over into fabrication and maintenance of Saturation Diving systems.

Jay Ray McDermott: Saturation Technician: Fabrication of Saturation Systems and built equipment including electrical wiring and controls, hydraulics, pneumatics, HV/AC work and all plumbing of gasses and fluids; repaired and rebuilt breathing air compressors, maintained all dive hoses and decompression chambers; responsible for all offshore support of saturation diving operations.

Cal Dive/ Cal Dive International: Saturation Diving Supervisor responsibilities: subsea tie in's, spool piece installations, riser installations, pig and test, pipeline abandonment, well intervention, hot taps, smart flange installations, I tube pulls, jumper installations to subsea manifolds, habitat welding projects, underwater welding and burning, demolition, repair of jacket members, scraping, hand jetting and debris removal. Senior Technical Advisor responsibilities: refurbishment of the saturation diving system, aboard the MV Witch Queen, completed the retrofit of the Saturation System to comply with DNV Regulations, all installation of equipment to support diving operations, retrofit of Uncle John's Saturation Diving system; reinstated saturation diving system onboard Balmoral Sea to meet DNV Regulations. Saturation Department Manager responsibilities: Planned maintenance and repairs of the saturation diving systems as well as in charge of the planned maintenance schedule of all marine vessels, and budgets for the dry docking of the saturation vessels.

Superior Offshore International: installed a Portable Saturation Diving system in the hangar deck of Mansal 18, Vessel worked for two and a half years as a saturation diving vessel (DP II DSV) (renamed the Endeavor). Saturation Technical Manager responsibilities: technical design and review of Saturation New Build Portable System built and fabricated as a 12 man ABS classed diving system then shipped to Trinidad and installed on Motor Vessel Gulmar Condor, 2008 it was demobilized and turned over to Cal Dive International. Amelia Base Manager responsibilities: working with Strategic Capital Corp. helping to close out invoices and organizing assets into viable lots of equipment.

Legacy Offshore: Saturation Manager: operating an IUC saturation diving system, in process of refitting a vessel with a dive system onboard.

Saturation Services: it is a consulting and inspection service and worked with Aqua Air Industries, Arc Controls, FMS Engineering, Cal Dive, Veolia, Harkand, Oceaneering, Shell, BP, and BG Trinidad. Service, repair, development and design of Saturation Diving equipment. 2 engineering companies collaborate on all equipment designed to class society specifications and follow IMCA guidelines. Company also carries out IMCA audits for major oil companies and work directly with dive companies. 

Sea Tech Industries: General Manager at Sea Tech Industries fabrication and repair of dive support equipment, quarters buildings, gas panels, air panels, and all subsea design and repair of subsea equipment. 

Tona Zwanziger - Director of Operations

Tulane University – Masters of Science/DRLA (Disaster Resiliency Leadership Academy): Research Assistant for Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI) with Rand Corporation following 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; Received the "Significant Contribution to Global Research in Disaster Resilience Award"; Research Publication: Resilience and Knowledge of PTSD in Military Spouses;

Tulane University – Masters of Social Work with Certification in Disaster Mental Health and Trauma Studies: Received the "Tulane 34 Award" for academic honors and service;

University of New Orleans – BA in Sociology

Served as Lead Administrator for the New Orleans Recovery Program after Hurricane Katrina: Supervise 13 administrative support staff across 4 business programs; Facilitate all team and office meetings; Conduct performance reviews; POC for other business offices and local management for personnel and human resources matters; Daily guidance and direction to administrative team, interviewing, hiring and training new employees; Scheduling and assigning work based on skill sets and capabilities; Facilitate events and meetings to build team cohesiveness and maintain diversity training hours; Create tracking logs for marketing efforts; Prepare project and marketing reports; Interpret and administer company/office policy programs and procedures for 112 employees, across three offices; Assure that direct reporting employees follow safe work practices; Maintain regular contact and correspondence with Subcontractors to include Architects, Engineers and Construction Contractors; Coordinate and manage document control compliance. 

United States Army: Sergeant; Combat Field Medic; Served 10 years in Army National Guard; Set up field hospital operations; Responded to medical emergencies in a field hospital environment using training in CPR, nuclear, biological, and chemical situations; Provided emergency medical treatment to other soldiers to include dehydration, on the job injuries, combat/military fatigue and other  medical treatments; Provided rescue and recovery missions with hurricane evacuations and following hurricane activity;  Activated to Honduras and Belize following hurricanes to provide disaster recovery; Honorably discharged after 10 years of service.

Professional License: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Specialized Training:

National Incident Management System, FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute

Emergency Support Function – ESF #6, FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute

Emergency Support Function – ESF #8, FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute

Are You Ready? – Citizen Preparedness, FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute

National Response Framework, FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute

Intro to Incident Command System, FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute

Hurricane Preparedness Training, given by The Institute for Psychosocial Health, Tulane University

Humanity in the Midst of War, Introduction to International Humanitarian Law, by the American Red Cross, Tulane University

Eduardo Balaguer - Project/Field Supervisor

Louisiana State University: Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering

Specialized Training: AutoCad, Stella

Bilingual: fluent in Spanish and English

Served as Site Superintendent, Field Supervisor and Quality Supervisor on a variety of jobs: Manged inventory of materials and supplies; monitored and documented project progress on a daily project log; operate on site equipment; Disconnected sewage and water lines on homes prior to demolition during disaster recovery following hurricane Katrina; assisted with fabrication and installation of large clarifier rings and aluminum walkway at New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board; assisted with research assignment concerning Energy/Energy Savings needs in the Dominican Republic.

Isabela Valdes - Administrative Support

Louisiana State University: Bachelor of Science, Psychology; Minor, Sociology

Coordinate conference calls, assist in payroll duties, edit and assist in creation of website, edit and assist in creation of company logo, assist in communication efforts for meetings, assist in analyzing information and updating website, daily office tasks.