D -- Route Selection and Alignment Optimization Model

1. INTRODUCTION Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC (BSC) is hereby expressing interest in obtaining information from firms that have a Route Selection and Optimization Model that is capable of fulfilling the requirements described below. Responding firms (Respondents) must submit documentation as specified in Section 4 below that provides detailed information on similar types of work performed and completed in application of their model. Sufficient detail should be included to allow BSC to evaluate the firm??s model, experience with use of the model, ease of use of the model and ability to generate the required results. In addition, other information related to the firm and its financial standing is required. 2. OPTIMIZATION MODEL REQUIREMENTS: Description: A planning tool that processes available satellite and aerial image data using computational techniques to automatically generate digital terrain models of optimized railway and highway alignments taking into account costs and other constraints as described herein. The system must be capable of generating and comparing many alternative alignments which allow planners freedom to balance environmental and socioeconomic factors against costs generated for each alignment. The model must consider factors during the optimization process which include terrain, geotechnical, geological, hydraulic and environmental concerns along with engineering design criteria and the proximity of existing infrastructure. Corridor Alternatives The model must take into consideration socioeconomic, sociopolitical, environmental, engineering, operational and institutional requirements. The program must generate output documents and maps that can be readily displayed to non-technical persons in workshop sessions enabling the evaluation of corridor preferences. Progressive scales of resolution will be necessary. Alignment Selection The program must evaluate a wide range of alignments within a given route or corridor and provide an optimized alignment which takes into consideration engineering, design, man made and natural obstacles, environmental issues, sociopolitical and socioeconomic issues, quantities and costs. Output should include defined alignments with material quantities and cost parameters. The model must have the capability to generate and optimize multiple horizontal and vertical alignments along with the locations and sizes of highway overpasses, bridges, major culverts, retaining walls, cut and fill sections, tunnels, and at-grade road crossings. The model should include the following features: A. General Capability: 1. Automated alignment optimization and refinement. 2. Able to display singular and multiple alignments. 3. Enable screening evaluation of a broad range of potential alignment and profile options. 4. Be user-friendly for easy use in applications. 5. Able to incorporate professional judgement. 6. Find the optimum alignment with minimum cost taking into consideration; topography, geotechnical and geological conditions, hydrological and hydraulic conditions, environmental impact, socioeconomic, sociopolitical, and socioeconomic factors, and engineering and operational criteria. 7. Able to handle a wide range of corridor and alignment related capital and operating costs. 8. Able to export to and incorporate highway and railway performance models. 9. Able to identify bridge and tunnel requirements. 10. Ability to expand plotting for reports, alignment maps, profiles, cross-sections and other pertinent information. 11. Adaptability to use remotely sensed data. 12. Incorporate a watershed model to locate culverts. 13. Ability to function in Imperial units. 14. Automated interface with other programs that compute volumes (Inroads/Intergraph). 15. Ease of conversion and handling available USGS and GIS data. 16. Able to consider rail operational constraints. 17. Able to take into account land use. 18. The system must incorporate audit trails so that alignments can always be linked to the conditions under which they were created. B. Environmental Considerations: 1. The system must be able to locate transport infrastructure horizontally and vertically to meet specified social, environmental and engineering constraints. 2. Once the specified social, environmental and engineering constraints are met the optimization should be cost driven. 3. The environment constraints should include ?h areas from which the alignment can be banned, ?h behavior modifying areas which can be entered subject to constraints on the form of construction and/or elevation, ?h linear features that specify the type of construction and height restrictions for any crossing. 4. Display fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emission estimates for each alignment. 5. Enable comprehensive investigation of alignment options to demonstrate to the stakeholders and local community that alternatives have been investigated. 6. Enable fast, 48 hour, determination of new alignments as and when new environmental or community zones are identified during the consultation process. 7. Because of the multidimensional nature of environmental impacts the system must produce a range of alignments to allow planners and community groups a choice when balancing progress towards different qualitative goals. C. Engineering Considerations 1. The alignments should be accurately located so that final adjustments to meet requirements that are a matter of local judgement and preferences will not require the location of the alignment to be shifted by more than a few feet horizontally and less vertically. 2. The costing component of the system should include ability to set unit rates for extraction, transport and placement of material, and construction of structures. 3. The system should balance cut and fill where appropriate. 4. The system must cater for varied geological conditions within corridors including multiple geological zones with multiple strata, and automatic generation of cross section templates, with costs and batter slopes that are a function of strata. 5. The system must produce alignments that meet geometric requirements appropriate to the type of infrastructure. 6. Limiting grades at points or over sustained distances, 7. Limiting radii of curvature on horizontal curves, crests and sags, 8. Coordination of horizontal and vertical curvature to maintain safe sight distances. 9. Display alignments and properties in plan and profile. 10. Display multiple alignments in plan view. 11. Employ ortho-rectified photographic images as an alternative background when displaying alternative alignments in plan. 3. LOCATION OF THE WORK Work will be performed both off site at the respondents offices, and on-site at the Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC, facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. 4. INFORMATION DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS A. General Provide name of respondent??s firm, home office address, phone number, fax and e-mail. Identify the business structure of the respondent??s firm. Provide the address, phone, fax and e-mail of the respondent??s firm office nearest to Las Vegas, Nevada. B. Model Development Provide a summary description of the route selection and alignment optimization models development process and current status. Does the respondent have full ownership and use rights for the model? C. Model Application Experience Provide a description on a project by project basis of the significant highway and railroad applications of the model over the last five years. For each project, at a minimum the following must be provided: ?h Client Name, Address, Contact Name and Telephone Number ?h Description of the work performed ?h Key results achieved ?h Value of contract at the time of award ?h Value of contract at completion ?h Start and completion date of work D. Financial Information Respondent must provide the most current annual report or CPA-certified financial statement to demonstrate financial responsibility. CPA certification is preferred. Offeror shall also submit a current Dun & Bradstreet Report of Condition. 5. RESPONSE SUBMITTAL Written responses are required no later than the close of business on or before October 4, 2002, 1:00 p.m PST. Include the name, title, address, telephone number, facsimile telephone number, and E-mail address of the responsible person to whom future communications regarding the pre-qualification and the RFP should be addressed. Address information documentation and all questions concerning this RFI to: Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC 1180 Town Center Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89144 Attention: Gerald Piscitelli RFI No. : RFI-091102-001 E-mail: contact@example.gov Fax: +1 (555) 000-0000