Argon Piping Supply, Installation and Testing

The contract, solicitation number LBNF-73573-JK, is for the supply, installation, and testing of a stainless-steel argon gas pipeline as part of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota. Approximately 40,000 metric tons of liquid argon will be transported to the surface receiving station, converted to gas, and delivered underground through a pipeline system with varying diameters: 8-inch Schedule 10 from the Argon Receiving Facility to the Ross Shaft, 6-inch Schedule 10 from the Ross shaft collar to the 4850 Level, and back to 8-inch Schedule 10 from the Ross Shaft to the Central Utility Cavern. The work includes surface trenching, shaft installation, underground suspension and anchoring, and full leak and weld testing, with all welding required to meet ASME or AWS standards. The project requires strict adherence to Procore software for documentation, daily reporting, a site-specific Environment, Safety, and Health plan, and a QA/QC program aligned with ISO 9001 or ASME standards. The pipeline must be installed within 250 calendar days from award, with concurrent operations permitted across surface, shaft, and underground zones, though surface and shaft activities must be minimized due to the shaft’s critical role as the primary access point for other LBNF/DUNE operations. Weather delays up to seven days per year are not billable, and delivery to the Ross Headframe, 100 Ross Rd., Lead, SD 57754, along with prior notification to FFDG Logistics two weeks in advance, is mandatory. The contract is a firm-fixed-price solicitation with no government-furnished property, and all work is governed by the General Terms and Conditions for Construction at SURF (08.2025), incorporating numerous FAR and DEA clauses including FAR 52.222-55 with Executive Order 14026 minimum wage requirements, FAR 52.222-21 prohibiting segregated facilities, FAR 52.236-2 and -5 addressing differing site conditions and materials/workmanship, and FAR 52.242-15 allowing stop-work orders. Subcontractors must submit comprehensive proposals in two PDF volumes—one technical and one