Structural Tests of Slab-Column and Slab-Beam-Column Connections for the Champlain Towers South

Amendment 0004: The purpose of this solicitation amendment is as follows: 1. Questions and Answers are released, as attached. 2. A revised Performance Work Statement, updated to reflect the Questions and Answers, is released, as attached. The document uses tracked changes for ease of review. 3. The solicitation response deadline is extended to November 14, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged. ___________________________ Amendment 0003: The purpose of this solicitation amendment is to extend the response deadline to November 9, 2022 while the Government reviews questions received regarding the solicitation and prepares answers. NIST hopes to post questions and answers very soon. ___________________________ Amendment 0002: The purpose of this solicitation amendment is to extend the response deadline to October 19, 2022 while the Government reviews questions received regarding the solicitation and prepares answers. NIST expects to extend the solicitation further once a Question and Answer amendment is released. _____________________________ Amendment 0001: The purpose of this solicitation amendment is to revise the key personnel requirements in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) per the attached revised PWS. The revisions are shown in tracked-changes. All other solicitation terms and conditions remain unchanged. _______________________________ Original/Base Solicitation: This is a Combined Synopsis / Solicitation for Commercial Items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 - Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation of Commercial Items - as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The solicitation is issued using simplified acquisition procedures under the authority of FAR Part 13.5. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT (i.e. STANDARD FORM) WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-07 dated August 10, 2022. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences. The small business size standard is 1,000 employees. This competition is unrestricted. Contractors of all business sizes are eligible to respond. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS Background The National Construction Safety Team Act (Act), Pub. L. 107-231, codified at 15 U.S.C. 7301 et seq., was enacted to provide for the establishment of investigative teams (Teams) to assess building performance and emergency response and evacuation procedures in the wake of any building failure that has resulted in substantial loss of life or that posed significant potential for substantial loss of life. The purpose of investigations by Teams is to improve the safety and structural integrity of buildings in the United States. As stated in the statute, a Team shall (1) establish the likely technical cause or causes of the building failure; (2) evaluate the technical aspects of evacuation and emergency response procedures; (3) recommend, as necessary, specific improvements to building standards, codes, and practices based on the findings made pursuant to (1) and (2); and (4) recommend any research and other appropriate actions needed to improve the structural safety of buildings, and improve evacuation and emergency response procedures, based on the findings of the investigation. In addition, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has promulgated regulations implementing the Act. The regulations are found at 15 CFR part 270. On June 24, 2021, the Champlain Towers South (CTS) Condominium in Surfside, Florida, collapsed after nearly 40 years of service. Ninety-eight people died in the collapse and several others were injured. NIST sent a preliminary reconnaissance team to collect information and data related to the collapse. Based on the recommendations of the preliminary reconnaissance team and evaluation of the criteria listed in the regulations implementing the Act, specifically in 15 CFR - 270.102, on June 30, 2021, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce, established a Team to study the collapse of the CTS Condominium in Surfside, FL. The NIST Investigation comprises six projects; including the Structural Engineering project whose focus is to determine (1) the technical conditions that led to the collapse of the Champlain Towers South and (2) the factors that might have contributed to the collapse including building design, construction, maintenance, and materials based on sophisticated structural models that make use of (a) evidence collected from the collapse site, (b) results of the other Investigation projects, and (c) structural engineering and reinforced concrete design and mechanics knowledge. NIST requires support services to conduct laboratory testing on full-scale reinforced concrete components representative of collapsed portions of the CTS building. Appendix A of this document shows some representative drawings from the structural drawing set of the building released by the city of Surfside, Florida. Figure A.1 shows the structural drawing for the Lobby Level Framing Plan, which includes the first-floor level within the footprint of the multi-story tower plus the plaza (or pool deck) slab to the south and east of the tower. The region of interest for the required services is the region bounded in the east-west direction by grid lines J and Q, and in the north-south direction by grid lines 8 and 15 (inside the blue outline in Figure A.1). This area was designed as a flat-plate construction with specified slab thickness of 9-1/2 in. Typical bottom reinforcement in the slab was specified to be No. 4 bars at 12 in on center each way and typical top reinforcement at slab-column connections was specified to be No. 5 bars with center-to-center spacing generally in the range of 6.0 to 7.5 in. In the plaza area to the south of the tower (south of grid line 9.1), the flat plate was supported by single-story columns of size 12 in x 16 in with four No. 7 longitudinal bars that were bent outward into the slab (Figure A.2(a)). Along the south edge of the tower, between grid lines 9.1 and 11.1, a series of steps in the slab elevation transitioned from the lobby level downward to the plaza level, resulting in slab drop - beams and Beams Type A (Figure A.2(c and d)). All reinforcement was specified as ASTM A615 Grade 60. Within the region of interest, two different concrete strengths were specified (fc = 4000 psi for floor concrete and fc = 6000 psi for column concrete). Objectives NIST requires support services to conduct a laboratory test project to construct, instrument, test, and prepare reports on strength, deformability, and failure modes of slab-column connections with and without the slab drops and Beams Type A described above. The required services are in support of the NIST's investigation into the CTS building collapse. Specifically, the objectives of the required services are to: Determine the strength, deformability, and failure modes of eight plus one optional representative slab-column connections from the plaza level south of grid line 9.1, some with uncorroded reinforcement and others with corroded reinforcement, and obtain data that can be used to support numerical simulations of the behavior of the building. Determine the strength, deformability, and failure modes of two representative slab-column connections along grid line 9.1, including effects of slab drops, Beams Type A, column offset bent reinforcement, and prior failure of the plaza slab south of and adjacent to grid line 9.1, with uncorroded reinforcement, and obtain data that can be used to support numerical simulations of the behavior of the building. Scope of Work & Specific Tasks The Contractor shall develop and deliver all labor, material, equipment, project oversight, report writing, administration, and technical execution necessary to meet the stated requirements and conduct the work described in the tasks below, with the exception that NIST will provide the concrete mixture designs and the concrete aggregate, cement, and any admixtures required to make the concrete used in the test specimens and concrete test cylinders. The Contractor shall be responsible to transport the coarse and fine aggregates, cement, and any admixtures from a location in Miami, Florida to the Contractor's testing laboratory. The Contractor is responsible for all other materials. As stated in section B of the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS), the scope includes eight base requirement slab-column test specimens, plus one optional requirement slab-column test specimen, and two base requirement slab-beam-column test specimens. Please see the attached PWS for details. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The contract period of performance shall be 12 months from the date of award. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE The primary place of performance will be the Contractor's facility. CONTRACT TYPE & PAYMENT TERMS A firm fixed price purchase order is anticipated. Payment shall be made on a NET30 basis using milestone payments following inspection and acceptance of individual deliverables. APPLICABLE PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES Please see the attached document for applicable provisions and clauses. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD CAR 1352.215-73 INQUIRIES (APR 2010): Quoters must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing electronically to Ms. Lauren Roller, Contract Specialist, at contact@example.gov. Questions must be received by or before September 21, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. (End of Provision). DUE DATE FOR QUOTATIONS All quotations must be submitted via email to Ms. Lauren Roller, Contract Specialist, at contact@example.gov. Submission must be received not later than November 14, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET. Note: Quoters must have an active registration at www.SAM.gov at time of quote submission to be considered for award. INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1) The Quoter's quotation shall be submitted electronically via email and shall consist of two volumes as detailed below. Each quotation volume shall include the Quoter's name, UEI number, and point of contact information in a cover page, header/footer, or other easily identified location. The Contracting Officer intends to award a purchase order without discussions but reserves the right to enter into discussions if in the best interest of the Government. Volume 1: Technical Response This volume shall contain the Quoter's technical response. The technical response (not including table of contents, figures, schematics, key personnel resumes, cut sheets, or past performance information) shall not exceed fifteen (15) single-spaced, single-sided pages or thirty (30) double-spaced, single sided pages. Text shall be no less than 12-point Arial or otherwise reasonably legible font in read-only Microsoft Word or searchable Adobe PDF format. The technical response shall include the name, title, phone number, and email address of the Quoter's primary point of contact and the individual authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Quoter (if negotiations are determined to be necessary). The technical response shall include: A narrative of the Quoter's technical approach to executing requirements. If subcontractors will be used, the Quoter shall provide the names of the companies or organizations and their expected roles. The technical approach shall describe the methods proposed for specimen design, test apparatus and setup including supports and boundary conditions, loading protocols, corrosion protocol, and instrumentation plan. Details of the instrumentation are a function of the specific test apparatus, and the general nature of the instrumentation shall be described as part of the response to this requirement. Resumes of proposed key personnel. Quoters shall identify and provide resumes of key personnel (including those of subcontractors, if any) to demonstrate their qualifications and expertise. A narrative of the Quoter's project management plan/management approach for the requirement. The management approach shall outline responsibilities of key individuals, consultants or sub-contractors, project administration and reporting, operational procedures, interactions between the tasks and subtasks outlined in the PWS, and procedures to monitor and assure progress to meet project schedule. Past performance information to include information on at least three (3) purchase orders or contracts in which the Quoter performed work similar to the scope of this requirement. Past performance information provided shall be for work completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years. Past performance shall include the following information: Name of the Organization Supported Organization Point of Contact with Current Phone Number and Email Address Contract Number Period of Performance Dollar Value of the Contract Narrative describing the services performed. The narrative should make clear similarities to the scope of work outlined in this solicitation. Completed provision responses, from the provisions attached to this solicitation. Provisions requiring response are highlighted in yellow. Volume 2: Price Quotation This volume shall contain the Quoter's price quotation in read-only Microsoft Excel format, or in searchable PDF format. All figures must be rounded to the nearest hundredth. Price quotations shall be submitted on a firm fixed price basis in accordance with the contract line item numbering structure identified in this solicitation. Quotations shall be valid for 90 days after solicitation close. To assist the Government in evaluating firm fixed price quotations, the Quoter shall provide a breakdown of the proposed materials costs and labor costs. Quoters shall also include a proposed fixed price payment schedule based on requirement milestones/deliverables in relation to the deliverables table in the Performance Work Statement. Quoters may propose alternate payment schedules. CONTRACT LINE ITEM STRUCTURE: Responsible Quoters shall provide pricing for the following line item: LINE ITEM 001: Structural Tests of Slab-Column and Slab-Beam-Column Connections for the Champlain Towers South in accordance with the requirements of the attached Performance Work Statement LINE ITEM 002: Optional Subtask 1.9: Construct and Conduct Tests on Optional Specimen SC-B5 in accordance with the requirements of the attached Performance Work Statement EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BASIS FOR AWARD (Addendum to FAR 52.212-2) The Government intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Quoter whose Quotation, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government reserves the right to make an award to other than the lowest-priced Quoter or to the Quoter with the highest technical rating if the Contracting Officer determines that to do so would result in the best value to the Government. The Contracting Officer intends to award without discussions but reserves the right to initiate discussions if necessary. Upon receipt of Quotations, the Contracting Officer will review them to determine if each Quoter followed all of the Quotation preparation/submission instructions in this solicitation. A Quotation that did not follow the Quotation submission instructions to an extent that the Government cannot properly evaluate the Quotation in accordance with the stated evaluation factors may be deemed unacceptable and may not be further evaluated. The Government intends to evaluate quotations using the tradeoff method. The factors below will used to evaluate quotations. In determining best value, the Non-Price Factors A, B, and C are considered equally important, and more important than Non-Price Factor D. Non-price factors A through D, when combined, shall be more important than price, Factor E. Factor A (Technical Factor): Technical Approach Factor B (Technical Factor): Management Approach and Schedule Factor C (Technical Factor): Key Personnel Factor D (Technical Factor): Past Performance Factor E (Non-Technical Factor): Price A. Technical Approach The Government will evaluate the quoter's technical approach to performing each task in the PWS. The Government will evaluate the proposed specimens design, test apparatus and setup including supports and boundary conditions, loading protocols, how the NIST corrosion protocol will be incorporated, and instrumentation plan. The Government will evaluate the appropriateness of testing laboratory and testing equipment plans for the required work. NIST also prefers the use of 3-D digital image correlation (DIC) system to measure slab deformations in Task 1. The technical approach proposed will be evaluated for overall understanding of Government requirements, realism, and expected effectiveness. B. Management Approach and Schedule Quoters will be evaluated based on the expected effectiveness of the proposed project management plan which outlines responsibilities of key individuals, consultants or sub-contractors, project administration and reporting, operational procedures, interactions between the tasks and subtasks outlined in the PWS, and procedures to monitor and assure progress to meet project schedule and budget for the three tasks. Additionally, the quoter will be evaluated based on the approach proposed for achieving the required schedule identified in the PWS. NIST prefers an approach which uses two different structural testing laboratories for each of Task 1 and Task 2 to complete the required tasks to ensure timeliness. This will include evaluation of the immediate availability of staff and appropriate testing laboratory(ies) proposed in the technical approach. C. Key Personnel The Government will evaluate the extent to which the resume(s) submitted for the quoter's proposed key personnel demonstrates that the proposed individual(s) meets or exceeds the minimum qualifications detailed in the PWS, and has the appropriate education, qualifications, and experience to efficiently and effectively address requirements in accordance with the PWS. D. Past Performance The Quoter's past performance will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the quoter has successfully performed previous efforts relevant to the requirements described in the PWS. Relevancy shall be considered similar to the current requirement in scope of work, period of performance, and total dollar value. The government will consider past performance on efforts completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years. The Government strongly prefers past performance which includes design and execution of complex structural testing of reinforced concrete structures. The Government may consider past performance information from other sources such as the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). E. Price Quoted pricing will be evaluated but not scored. Price evaluation will determine whether the quoted price is complete, fair, and reasonable in relation to the RFQ requirements.