Current Practices and Policies of Highway Agencies on the Use of Deployment-Ready NDE Technologies for Bridge Assessment

NOTICE TYPE: Sources Sought TITLE: Current Practices and Policies of Highway Agencies on the Use of Deployment-Ready NDE Technologies for Bridge Assessment PROGRAM BACKGROUND: Recently, as part of MAP-21 and FAST-ACT legislation, requirements for bridge owners to develop data driven asset management programs have been introduced. In an effort to develop these types of programs, in particular bridge management systems, many stakeholders require extensive bridge inspection condition information. These owners have turned to nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies as a means of acquiring bridge condition data that will allow them to be informed with regards to the performance and condition of their assets. In 2009, a joint American Society of Civil Engineers Structural Engineering Institute and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ad hoc group was created to study how current bridge practices could be improved for the future. Among their recommendations was the wider use of NDE technologies. The use of NDE technologies to complement bridge inspection, however, have been found to vary significantly from state to state. Some States have established guidelines and protocols for utilizing NDE tools and technologies on an as-needed basis to augment visual inspection, while others have been reluctant to fully embrace such technologies based on their reliabilities and/or added value. In recent years, a number of sponsored national studies (i.e., SHRP2 and NCHRP), federally funded Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) and University Transportation Centers (UTC) Programs, and more focused studies by clusters of States have provided owners and decision makers insight into the capabilities, reliability, strengths and limitations, benefits, and added value of using NDE tools and technologies to reliably manage their bridge highway assets. As NDE technologies are being deployed (although on a limited basis) to serve assessment and management goals related to highway structures, there is a need to capture in what circumstances the use of NDE adds value, how various state highway agencies define return on investment, in particular how they define/quantify the various costs (direct, user, etc.) and benefits (reduced uncertainty, improved forecasting, more efficient use of time and resources, etc.) associated with technology applications. SYNOPSIS: The main objective of this study is to: 1. Identify the NDE technologies that are mature enough for bridge assessment and available for deployment and implementation, and assess those technologies in terms of their strengths and limitations for routine use for bridge assessment by highway agencies 2. Identify leading highway agencies who routinely use NDE technologies, and investigate and document those NDE technologies that are currently in practice for bridge assessment by highway agencies, and 3. Quantify the added value and return on investment (as owners define it) related to NDE applications for bridge assessment. The investigation shall first focus on identifying deployment-ready technologies, documenting the strengths and limitations of NDE tools and technologies currently used from the perspectives of accuracy, reliability, ease of use, speed, operation cost, shortfalls, and as well as available protocols or generic guidelines. The lead states or - first adopters who use those NDE technologies shall be identified, detailing their decision-making process related to deployment and in particular with respect to their goals and expectations. In addition to the lead states, identify current policies and procedures of states in their use of NDE technologies. In addition, this study shall track and document specific deployment of NDE tools and technologies, the results obtained, added value, and ultimately the owner-defined return on investment (ROI). The final report shall summarize the best practices for leveraging NDE technologies within an agency bridge management plan, and highlight how bridge owners use NDE tools and technologies to assist them in managing bridges more effectively. REQUIRED CAPABILITIES: At a minimum, the needed expertise will include: 1. Capabilities and demonstrated experience in bridge inspection. 2. Capabilities and demonstrated experience in using nondestructive evaluation technologies and methods for bridge inspection. 3. Capabilities and demonstrated experience in bridge management system. 4. Capabilities and demonstrated understanding of how bridge owners would benefit from NDE technologies and methods in bridge management system. 5. Capabilities and demonstrated experience in quantifying the return on investment for highway engineering applications. The Contractor's management team shall integrate excellence in, business operation, and research management with sufficient technical depth to perform world-class research. The estimated period of performance for the project is 18 months. INDUSTRY RESPONSE The FHWA is seeking capability statements from industry in regards to the Use of Deployment-Ready NDE Technologies for Bridge Assessment requirement. Submissions must be accompanied by a cover letter which identifies the company name, address, DUNS number, Point of Contact(s) (Name, title, email, and phone number), and socio - economic status, i.e. small disadvantaged, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged, HUBZone small, woman-owned small, veteran-owned small, service-disabled veteran-owned small - based upon NAICS Code 541360 " Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services" with a size standard of $15.0M. Response Responses (limited to a 10-page capability statement) single spaced, Times New Roman, no smaller than 12 pitch font. Drawing, diagrams and/or captions to pictures are limited to no smaller than 8 pitch font. All submissions must be made electronically (as described below), and be in either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Office Word. Responders are to describe in clear and concise language their capabilities to meet the Government's requirements set forth in this notice. Responses shall be submitted by e-mail to matthew.gilliard@dot.gov, no later than 1:00 pm ET on March 8, 2019 with the following text in the subject line: Current Practices and Policies of Highway Agencies on the Use of Deployment-Ready NDE Technologies for Bridge Assessment - 693JJ3-19-SS-0018 DISCLAIMER: THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.