Intent to contract on a sole source basis for the testing and assessment of rail cars vulnerability

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intends to contract using other than full and open competition for the Testing and Assessment of Rail Cars Vulnerability. Accordingly, the TSA intends to award a contract to Transportation Technology Center, Inc. 5500 Dot Rd , Pueblo, CO 81001. This contract will continue Phase II of the work already initiated by TTCI during Phase I. On Phase I, TTIC completed a risk assessment to define appropriate blast scenarios, development of a detailed railcar finite element model, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of blast events, sensitivity studies using the car and CFD model, and reporting. Phase II includes acquisition of commuter, transit, and light rail cars for a coordinated modeling and test effort that will result in correlated models of the three railcar types. Light rail and transit rail cars have been obtained by TTCI, and modeling efforts are nearing completion on those cars. Structural steels from the light rail car have been tested at strain rates varying from quasi-static to very high strain rates associated with explosive events. These material properties define the nonlinear strain-rate dependent characteristics in the LS-DYNA railcar model. The modeling work has included investigations of three different CFD blast-wave/structure modeling methods (fluid-structure interaction is at the cutting edge of finite element analysis). Once tests have been conducted, the best CFD model can be identified and selected for use. Specialized risk analyses of the light rail and transit cars are essentially completed. The remaining Phase II work includes: finish models of the railcars, perform blast tests, correlate models to the test results and reporting. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received thirty days after date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. The Government will notify parties of the outcome of any proposal submitted in response. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Interested vendors who may wish to seek subcontracting opportunities should contact the above named company directly.