Rapid Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT) Equipment

The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial equipment/services that satisfy the Government's anticipated needs. BACKGROUND The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory (EL) Materials and Structural Systems Division (MSSD) studies the durability and service life of infrastructure materials (polymers, concrete, engineered composites, etc.) for resilient infrastructure applications. One of the key research focuses is to evaluate the durability of these materials to environmental factors that could expedite deterioration. One such environmental factor that can impact the long-term structural integrity of concrete structures is exposure to chloride ions (Cl-). The MSSD will benefit from rapid chloride permeability test (RPCT) equipment to evaluate concrete materials in the - Engineered Materials for Resilient Infrastructure program in projects such as - Assessing Pyrrhotite in Concrete, - Forward Looking Building Codes, and - Additive Manufacturing with Cement Based Materials as well as Disaster and Failure program investigations such as Champlain Towers South. Requirements: The Contractor shall deliver a quantity of ONE (1) voltage application and data acquisition system to measure applied voltage across concrete specimens, and SIX (6) sets of test cells for 4-inch diameter specimens with associated cables and accessories for accurate testing. The Contractor shall provide equipment that meets all technical specifications identified below. All items must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental, prototype, or custom items will not be considered. The use of - gray market components are not authorized for sale in the U.S. by the Contractor is not acceptable. All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer's packaging and include all original documentation and software, when applicable. Line Item 0001: Description: Voltage Application and Data Acquisition System Quantity: ONE (1) Technical Specifications Capability of testing up to EIGHT (8) concrete specimens at once Power supply of 110 V to 120 V and 50 Hz to 60 Hz Power supply must have a NEMA Type B plug Voltage measurement accuracy of at least - 0.1 V Current measurement accuracy of at least - 1 mA User-defined programmable applied voltage between 5 V and 60 V User-defined programmable test duration Ability to measure temperature up to 100 - C via temperature probe with an accuracy of - 1 - C Data acquisition system capable of managing test parameters, storing data, and exporting data in a common file format (e.g., csv or xlsx) for data analysis Data acquisition system must either be in a self-contained unit or include software that can be operated on a computer with a Windows 11 operating system Line Item 0002: Description: Applied Voltage Test Cells Quantity: SIX (6) Sets Technical Specifications Each set of applied voltage test cells shall include two symmetric poly (methyl methacrylate) chambers, each containing electrically conductive mesh and external connectors Cell 1 of set capable of holding up to 3 % Sodium Chloride (NaCl) solution Cell 2 of set capable of holding up to 0.3 N Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) solution Capable of testing 4-inch diameter concrete cylinder Include cables to connect each test cell to voltage application and data acquisition system Include bolts and internal gaskets to fully seal specimen between Test Cells Include temperature probe to measure solution temperature NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above. HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response: Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice. Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and - active in SAM at the time of solicitation response. Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company's Unique Entity ID (UEI). Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice. For each equipment recommended to meet the Government's requirement, provide the following: Manufacturer name Design specifications and design support consultation services Fabrication specifications If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company's status as an authorized reseller of the equipment(s) Describe performance capabilities of the equipment(s) your company recommends to meet the Government's requirements. Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response. Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice has any limits to customization. Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why. Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive. State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured. Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline. For the NAICS code listed in this notice: Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information. If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of equipment addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement. Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration).; if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services. Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available. State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company's published prices for equipment and services. If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information. Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment. Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address. Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement. State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government's requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by June 27, 2025, 12:00 p.m. ET. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice. IMPORTANT NOTES This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. There is no solicitation available at this time. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's capability. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA's eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s). The responses shall not exceed 3 pages including all attachments, charts, etc. Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!