SUBSURFACE INVESTIGATION ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY DISPOSAL AREA 60

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR SUBSURFACE INVESTIGATION ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY DISPOSAL AREA 60, ONSLOW COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

This is a Sources Sought/Request for Information only. This is NOT a Solicitation Announcement, nor is it a Request for Proposal. This request does not obligate the Government in any contract award.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, is conducting research to determine the market capabilities of potential contractors to perform a subsurface investigation for the purpose of collecting soil and strength parameters for the existing dike and foundation soils to complete slope stability analysis for the existing dike foundation soils.

Disposal Area (DA) 60 is approximately 20 acres in size and located one and a quarter mile southeast of the NCWRC Cedar Point Boat Ramp, located in Cedar Point, North Carolina.

1. Description of Services. The Contractor shall mobilize all necessary personnel, equipment, and materials to DA 60, to conduct a comprehensive geotechnical investigation. Methods of investigation should accurately locate changes in the soil strata. Equipment shall be able to traverse the site in wet, soft, or dry conditions. The following subsurface exploration and laboratory testing services will be required.
   
   • Cone Penetration Test Sounding
     
     • A total of eleven (11) CPT soundings shall be completed to a depth of 50 feet or refusal that occurs greater that 20 feet in depth, both within the crest of the existing dike structure, the interior of the existing dike structure, and waterside toe of the DA to assess soil stratigraphy and engineering properties.

All work shall be completed in accordance with applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements, and coordinated with USACE representatives throughout the duration of the investigation.

The Contractor shall be fully responsible for the transportation of all personnel, equipment, and materials to and from DA 60 for the duration of the geotechnical investigation. DA 60 is only accessible by water vessel; therefore, the Contractor must make all necessary arrangements for marine transportation to support field operations. No land access is available.

2.  Site Information. Site maps, navigation charts and bathymetric maps may be acquired from the Wilmington District, Navigation Section. Historical tide data can be acquired from the NOAA Tides and Currents website; https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=8665728. Borehole coordinates will be provided by the Wilmington District for navigational purposes.

3. Water Vessel Requirements. All waterborne vessels shall be compliant with established US Coast Guard guidelines and regulations.

4.  Field Work.  As previously stated, this contract requires eleven (11) CPT soundings be conducted.

All interested firms with 541360 as an approved NAICs code have until 6 November 2026 at 1500 ET to submit the following information:

- Name & Address of your Firm

- Point of Contact (Name/Phone/E-mail)

- Current SAM

- Business Size, to include designation as HUBZone, 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Woman-Owned Business, and Large Business. Any supporting documentation that confirms your socio-economic status should be provided, i.e., letter of certification from VA confirming SDVOSB status. The Government must be able to verify SBA certification of HubZone and 8(a) via SAM.

- Evidence of capabilities to perform comparable subsurface investigation work. The contractor must provide evidence of comparable work on two (2) recent projects (not more than seven (7) years old.) Include the project name and description of the key/salient features of the project (completion date, total contract value, and your company's level of involvement in the project, i.e., subcontractor (type), prime, GC, etc. and your specific role. Additionally, if you were teaming with another firm, clearly identify your role on the project(s) submitted. Please provide at least one point of contact (with e-mail address and phone number) for project validation. The Government will not give credit to projects if the lack of information hinders the ability to determine relevancy and/or level or experience.

- Documentation of a drill rig that can perform CPT soundings as specified. The CPT equipment shall be pushed into the ground at a rate of 0.8 in/s. The CPT shall consist of a conical tip at the base of the rod for measuring the cone resistance and friction resistance every 0.8-inch interval. The cone shall have a base area of 1.6 in2, with a diameter of 1.4 in., and a height of 1.2 in., corresponding to a 60˚ apex angle. The cone is attached to a friction sleeve having a diameter of approximately 1.4 in. The tip of the cone is typically instrumented to measure the tip resistance using strain gauges, while the sleeve above the cone is instrumented to measure the sleeve friction. These parameters shall be used to obtain a profile of the variation of soil strength and soil type with depth. Additional instrumentation shall be attached to the cone to obtain additional data for correlation with other parameters such as porewater pressure.

- Firm's capability to perform, to include geographic span and project size.

- Information on Teaming Arrangement (if applicable). Although we are not looking for formal signed agreements at this time, if you intend to "team" with another firm, formally or informally, you must submit information, not more, than one (1) page, about your team's involvement. More specifically, you must submit sufficient information for the Government to determine the roles each team member will play and what your socio-economic status is or will be considering the proposed arrangement. Therefore, included in your one (1) page if you are a Small Business and you intend to mentor/protégé and/or JV with a large business both team members must sign agreeing that 40% of the labor will be performed by the 8(a) firm. Additionally, if the team is a mentor/protégé arrangement, identify the areas that will be mentored. Any supporting documentation that confirms your socio-economic status as a team should be provided.

The Government may not give credit to your socio-economic class if there is not sufficient documentation to support it or if the Government cannot verify through other means that your business is as such.

Responses to this Sources Sought Announcement will be used by the government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. All interested businesses, regardless of size should submit a narrative demonstrating their Specialized Experience in similar type contracts, Past Performance, Key Personnel. Capability statements should include size/classification of your firm, bonding capacity, details of similar projects, and the completion dates, references and contract amounts for the similar projects listed.

Narratives shall be no longer than 30 pages.  The requested information shall be submitted electronically to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Attn: Jenifer M. Garland and Troy D. Small

E-mail: jenifer.m.garland@usace.army.mil and troy.d.small@usace.army.mil

The email should be titled: AIWW Disposal Area 60 Subsurface Investigation

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS SUCH.

Do not send hard copies of advertising or promotional materials. Please ensure that all responses are comprehensive and provide a name and point-of-contact for your firm for follow-up by this office or the procuring contracting officer. If you have responded to any previous e-mail messages or had other communications with our office regarding preliminary market research for this project, please be advised that it will be necessary for you to respond to this e-mail and the questions contained therein. Any responses involving teaming agreements should delineate between the work that will be accomplished by the Prime Contractor and work accomplished by the teaming partner

All information is to be provided on a voluntary basis at no charge to the Government. There is no entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs related to or arising out of responding to this request for information. All information provided becomes property of the Government. There is no guarantee, expressed or implied, that the market research for this acquisition will result in any guarantee of award or acquisition strategy.