K -- Purchase of Pavement Friction Test System

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) intends to negotiate a firm fixed price contract with the Dynatest International Corporation to provide a Tire Traction Tester, which consists of a modified 2004 Ford Super Duty extended cab, a two-wheel trailer, laptop computer and computer software to record the data, and provide training on the system. The Tire Traction Tester shall be in accordance with the following specifications: 1). The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J345A Wet or Dry Pavement for Peak and Locked Wheel Braking Traction. Test pavement friction/skid resistance in accordance with the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) E274 using a full-scale tire; 2). ASTM F408 Standard Test Method for Tire for Wet Traction in Straight-Ahead Barking; 3). ASTM F408 Standard Test Method for Tires for Determining Longitudinal Peak Using a Standard Reference Test Tire; 4). ASTM E274 Standard Test Method for Skid Resistance of a Paved Surface using a Full Scale Tire; 5). The ASTM F408-96 method of braking traction of tires designed for passenger cars or trucks. This type of braking traction measurements is applicable to conditions as the vehicles travels straight ahead on a wet, paved surface; 6). Measurements will be conducted on tires mounted on a trailer. Brakes are applied at the right or left test tire and locked, and held locked, for a period of at least 1.5 seconds at speeds ranging from 20 to 60 mph (32 km/h to 96 km/h); and, 7). F377 calibration of braking force for testing of pneumatic tires. The trailer shall also contain the following: 1). Weight baskets shall be included to allow changing of wheel loads from 800 pounds (364 kg) minimum, or the actual weight of the empty trailer, to 2000 pounds (910 kg) maximum wheel loads. The weight baskets shall accept both 50 pound (23 kg) steel weights and 25 pound (11 kg) lead pellet bags; 2). An angular velocity transducer (distance and speed measuring tachometer) will be provided at each trailer wheel spindle to provide accurate speed and distance of both the wheel under test and the free rolling wheel; 3). A two-axis force transducer shall be installed on the left trailer test wheel. The two-axis force transducer will provide direct measurement of the horizontal tractive friction force and the dynamic vertical load on the test wheel during testing. Like equipment may be installed at a later date on the right trailer wheel so either or both wheels may be involved in the test; 4). The trailer will include two electric lift jacks for automatic raising/lowering the trailer. The automatic jacks will be controlled by switches on the trailer and inside the cab; 5). Laminar flow (Ohio State type) water nozzles shall be located in front of each test wheel. The nozzles will provide a uniform thickness of water across the path of the test tire over the full range of test speeds. The 14-inch wide water nozzle shall provide 4-gallons per minute, per inch of wetted width at 40 miles per hour. The nozzle shall be capable of automatically or manually lowering or raising during testing; and, 6). The trailer shall have air-over-hydraulic disk brakes. The trailer brakes are to be capable of locking either wheel. Lockup time from the time of automatic application to lockup and release (cycle time) is adjustable but will not exceed five seconds in accordance with ASTM E274 specification. The trailer shall have Ford hubs with 12 mm studs and 135 mm bolt circle. The modified 2004 Ford Super Duty F250 shall include the following: 1). Dash mounted digital speed display for accurate test speed monitoring and recording; 2). Operator/drive console with remote hand switch to start the automatic test; 3). Load and Traction read-out visible in daylight from the rear of the trailer; 4). Surface temperature sensor; 5). Ambient temperature and water temperature in tank; 6). On-board sensor for starting point of skid; 7). Laptop Computer shall have the following minimum requirements: processor speed - 2.4GHz or above with a hard disk size of 20 GB or greater, operating system: latest Windows operating system, USB port, Ethernet port; 8). Color graphics printer; and, 9). Self-watering system. The water shall be dispensed by two positive displacement water pumps and precision nozzles assuring the correct amount of water at all speeds. The two pumps may be operated simultaneously or individually by means of clutches (electric) that can be selected by the operator or computer program. Interested firms should identify their capability to provide the necessary equipment as described above. The written response must include detail information relating to the specific equipment being requested. Expressions of interest without sufficient detail to permit evaluation of ones ability to provide the necessary equipment will not be considered. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations nor is a Request-for-Quotations solicitation document currently available. A determination by the Government not to compete this action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive acquisition. In the absence of responses from interested firms demonstrating their capability, NHTSA intends to request a quotation from Dynatest International Corporation on a noncompetitive basis for the work described. Responses must be received by the listed procuring office within 15 days from the date of publication of this notice.