54--Bridges, Fixed and Floating

Market Research for the Dry Support Bridge System GENERAL INFORMATION: The Government appreciates the time and effort taken to respond to this market research. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. 1905 to protect information qualifying as "CONFIDENTIAL" under this statute. Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any trade secret or confidential restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the research questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following: 1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data as trade secret or confidential with the restrictive legend (all caps) "CONFIDENTIAL" with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected. 2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly trade secret or confidential (over breadth in marking inappropriate data as "CONFIDENTIAL" may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting, or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page, which are to be protected. 3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data. 4. Confidential data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the government, shall contain any restrictive legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for portions only of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends 'CONFIDENTIAL DATA BEGINS:" and "CONFIDENTIAL PORTION ENDS." 5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text. 6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain confidential information may receive only limited or no consideration since the Respondent's marking of data as "Confidential" will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting the evaluation effort. DESCRIPTION OF INTENT: THIS IS A MARKET RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE REQUESTING INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING POTENTIAL REQUIREMENT. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation, nor is it a request seeking contractors to be placed on a solicitation mailing list. Response to this questionnaire is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this market research and any follow-on information requests. Data submitted in response to this market research will not be returned. No solicitation document exists at this time, and calls requesting a solicitation will not be answered. POTENTIAL REQUIREMENT: The purpose of this questionnaire is to obtain information on commercial industry capability to satisfy US Army requirements for a Dry Support Bridge (DSB). Appendix 1 shows the current DSB system specifications and Appendix 2 illustrates pictures of a DSB bridge and a DSB Launcher Vehicle. The current DSB provides the United States Army with an enhanced tactical bridging capability that replaces existing bridges currently in service with U.S. ground forces including the Medium Girder Bridge (MGB). The system is a highly mobile, Palletized Load System truck-mounted (Government provided), rapidly emplaced, MLC 80 track / 100 Wheel capable, modular bridging system capable of spanning gaps up to 40 meters (40 meters is the minimum threshold requirement, 48 meters is objective). The Trilateral Design and Test code for Military Bridging and Gap-crossing Equipment dated January 2005 defines what MLC requirements are and what testing is required to meet those requirements. See the website for copies of this document. The Government is presently in the process of proving the gap spanning capability of the present system to 46 meters. The DSB currently consists of a bridge and a launcher. The bridge is capable of spanning a 40-meter or less gap without the use of intermediate supports, piers, span junctions or reinforcement sets. The launcher is capable of launching a bridge at sites where the near and far banks are of differing heights and slopes. The launcher can retrieve the bridge from either end. The DSB is organic to corps-level Multi-Role Bridge Companies (MRBCs). These units are typically placed in direct support of division operations or retained in general support of the corps/theater operations. MRBCs normally operate under the command and control of the corps engineer. Each MRBC will have sufficient equipment and personnel assets to emplace four bridges simultaneously. The threat environment that the DSB operates in will vary dependent upon its location in area of operations. The primary threat will be from indirect fire systems including conventional munitions, scatter able mines, Improved Conventional Munitions (ICM), Terminally Guided Munitions (TGM), and surface-to-surface missiles. The DSB will also be a potential target for direct fire from fixed and rotary wing aircraft that have been sent to destroy friendly Lines of Communication (LOCs), or are transiting the area and attack the DSB as a target of opportunity. Secondary threats will include direct fire from threat forces operating in and around our rear area and equipped with demolitions, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and a variety of small arms to include man-portable Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs). The DSB is also a potential target for chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. Number each response with the appropriate question number. 2. You do not have to repeat the question in your response. 3. If you cannot answer a question, please indicate "No Response." 4. If a response will satisfy another question, state: "See response to question XXX." 5. Include relevant sales media and product manuals. If providing an ACROBAT formatted manual, annotate the manual to indicate which material is applicable to the questions. If preferred, include Internet Web links to locations where animations/videos may be viewed. 6. If your sales media and/or manuals contain a restricted distribution statement, issue a release statement indicating that the restricted material may be distributed to Army personnel involved with this market research. 7. Spell out any acronyms in their first instance. 8. Clearly mark any proprietary information. If applicable, the front page of your response package should state: "Proprietary Information Contained." Provide a release statement indicating that the proprietary information may be distributed to Army personnel involved with this market research. Request for Information (RFI) ? Questionnaire 1. Company Name: 2. Are you a large or small business for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) # 332312 ? Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing. If small business, are you Small Disadvantaged or 8(a) In a Hub zone Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Women Owned 3. Mailing Address: 4. E-Mail Address: 5. Point of Contact (POC)/Title: 6. Telephone No: Fax No: 7. Does your company have a website, if so list here: 8. If so, what type of bridges does your company sell to the public or Governments? Identify them by providing what you provided and to what public or Government agency with the appropriate Contract numbers. If not, what do you currently produce? 9. If your company does not currently produce bridges, why do you feel your current capabilities allow for you to design and manufacture a bridge? 10. What is the projected production lead-time (from time of contact award to first delivery) for your bridge? 11. Please make any suggestions on the structuring a potential DSB bridging acquisition which would enable the U.S. Government to obtain the most favorable terms, conditions, prices and delivery. 12. What is the anticipated fatigue life of your bridge? How do you determine the fatigue life of the bridge? Do you have any monitors that you place on the bridge to help in this determination? 13. What are the minimum near and far bank areas required respectively to launch and retrieve the bridge? 14. What are the maximum and minimum height difference between the near and the far banks across which the bridge can be launched/retrieved? 15. What are the maximum longitudinal and cross slopes of the near bank that your system is capable of being operated? 16. Can the bridge be assembled/dismantled using standard tools available with the Army? Are there any special tools specific to your system that would be required? If you have special tools please list them. 17. What is the temperature range that your system be launched/operable and retrieved in? 18. What type of warranty is the commercial standard for this industry? What type of warranty would you provide under a contract with the Government? Please attach a sample warranty from your company. 19. If you were awarded a contract for the DSB, where would this production take place and what efforts you would use to provide subcontracting opportunities? 20. Provide a list of your major customers to include Company name and a point of contract with phone number within the Company. 21. The Government would view "Partnering" or "Teaming" arrangements very favorably. Please comment on the feasibility/practicality of such arrangements for this acquisition. Would your company consider Teaming or Partnering for this acquisition? 22. Are there any terms and conditions unique to this industry, which are not normally a part of standard Government contracts, or that you would require in a contract with the government? 23. Do you have direct experience with providing Army Logistics? What were these efforts? 24. If awarded a contract for the DBS, would you perform the logistics effort in-house, or would you subcontract logistics? If you are subcontracting the logistics effort, who might you go to for this effort? 25. Please provide recommendations/comments regarding what you would consider the "appropriate" logistics for the DSB acquisition. 26. The DSB Detail Specifications is attached. Response to this market research questionnaire should be sent via email to Ms. Ms. Laura Artz at contact@example.gov and Mr. Daniel W. Bansek at contact@example.gov. You are requested to put "DSB QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE" in the subject line of the email. You can respond in total or to any part of this questionnaire. Any request for clarifications of the questionnaire shall also be addressed to Ms. Laura Artz at email laura,contact@example.gov. Responses to this market survey must be submitted electronically, through email or on a disk. See Requirements for Electronic Submissions (http://contracting.tacom.army.mil/acqinfo/ebidnotice.htm: for additional information. Any product literature that cannot be emailed may be placed on a CD disk and sent to: Army Contracting Command - Warren CCTA- ADCD ATTN: Ms. Laura Artz, Mail Stop 326 6501 E. Eleven Mile Rd. Warren, MI 48397-5000 Replies to this questionnaire must be received by within 15 days of date of this notice. Please mark your information "Proprietary", as you feel appropriate. Your input is voluntary and no compensation can be made for your participation in this survey. We appreciate your cooperation in answering these questions and thank you in advance for your participation. Attachments: Appendix 1: DSB Specification Appendix 2: Dry Support Bridge (DSB) System 1. Army Enlisted Job Descriptions and Qualification MOS Information 2. Commanders Guide DSB 3. DSB SYS Description (6 MAY 06) 4. FM 70-1 Transportability for Better Deployability. 5. Integrated Sustainment Maintenance 6. MIL-HDBK 1791 7. MIL-STD 209K Tiedown 8. MIL-STD 1366E 9. NATO STANAG 2010 MLC Markings Standard 10. NATO STANAG 2021 Military Load Classification 11. NATO STANAG 4074 APU Connections 12. Palletized Loading System Specs 13. STANAG 2021 ED 6 14. TM-5-5420-279-10 15. TM-5-5420-279-23 16. Trilateral Design and Test Code JAN 2005