Technical Support for the Infrastructure Analysis & Construction Team

SOURCES SOUGHT SOLICITATION NUMBER: DTFH6116RI00002 NOTICE TYPE: Sources Sought TITLE: Technical Support for the Infrastructure Analysis & Construction Team PROGRAM BACKGROUND: Over the past several decades, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Transportation Research Board (TRB) and state highway departments of transportation (DOT's) have invested heavily in the development of mechanistic-empirical performance prediction and lifecycle costing models and also in the collection and analysis of data associated with the performance of highway pavements at the project and network level. At the project level mechanistic-empirical (M-E) based design procedures, including the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) developed under the NCHRP 1-37A project, provide the basis for the pavement structural design and at the network level pavement management and pavement condition data collection have changed dramatically. Also, detailed methodologies and tools have been developed and continued to be improved to treat pavements, bridges and other physical assets of the highway infrastructure as assets and looking at investment strategies in preserving, enhancing and renewing them through the prism of life cycle analysis and costing. At the national level, the passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) legislation has placed increased emphasis on accountability in how these assets are managed, investments are made and a need to look at them objectively through performance measures that represents the health of our nation's highway system to withstand current and future demands. With increased awareness of the effect of climate change and the impact of the choices we make today on the society at present and future, a more encompassing consideration is the concept of sustainability - that the preservation, enhancement and renewal of our highway network be accomplished to "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This forms the basis for the strategic research activities that the Infrastructure Analysis and Construction Team will engage in the next several years and the areas of interest that this contract shall support. SYNOPSIS: The FHWA has a requirement for non-personal on-site and off-site engineering and technical services to support research activities undertaken by the Office of Infrastructure Research and Development's Infrastructure Analysis and Construction (IAC) Team at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC). The Contractor shall provide staff with the expertise necessary to provide engineering and technical support to accomplish the IAC team's research and development efforts in an efficient, cost-effective, and innovative manner. REQUIRED CAPABILITIES: At a minimum, the needed areas of expertise will include: - Highway analysis/design, construction, maintenance, and performance modeling that examine the complex interactions between traffic loads, materials, construction methodologies, and environment - Structural and functional evaluation of in-service pavements using non-destructive and other means - Forensic investigations of pavement sections performance - Construction means and methods of different highway infrastructure elements. - Construction Project Management methods of estimating time and cost of different functions; in addition, to the day to day management functions of highway construction. - Construction Quality Assurance activities to advance wider range of implementation, acceptance, and support. - Evaluation of construction practices to understand and account for variances between as-designed versus as-constructed and to identify improved construction practices to enhance long term performance - Life cycle costs (LCC) and life cycle assessment (LCA) associated with preserving and enhancing highway physical assets - Development of software tools implementing findings from Infrastructure Analysis and Construction Team research efforts - Evaluation of software and other products resulting from the research to assess technical integrity and Section 508 compliance. - Assistance with implementation and population of the Pavement Research Database System (PRDS) - Assistance with coordination between publication office editors and independent technical review for research products In addition, the Contractor shall be requested to provide technical services for technology delivery, deployment and provide programmatic technical support for the ICA team's research and development efforts. The estimated period of performance for the project is five years. FHWA anticipates a level of effort ranging from 1 to 2 onsite professional staff members per year for the duration of the project. The offsite level of effort will depend on the number and scope of the projects based on continued and additional funding under current and future transportation legislation. This requirement is a new procurement. The contract type and contract vehicle is to be determined. ELIGIBILITY: The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541330 with a Small Business Size of $15.0 million. All potential sources, regardless of whether they are large or small in accordance with the NAICS size standard, are encouraged to submit a capabilities statement in response to this sources sought. SUBMISSION DETAILS (CABILITIES STATEMENT) Interested businesses shall submit responses electronically to the Contract Specialist, Carolyn Wilson, in Microsoft Word 2010 or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) at Carolyn.Wilson@dot.gov no later than 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on November 23, 2015. No phone or email solicitations with regard to the status of the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be accepted prior to its release. Specific details will be provided in a solicitation which will be posted at https://www.fbo.gov/. Be advised that periodic access to the website is essential for obtaining updated documentation and the latest information regarding this procurement. All data received in response to this source sought, marked or designated as corporate or proprietary, will be fully protected from release outside the Government. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. Classified material SHALL NOT be submitted as well as marketing materials, slide presentations or technical papers. Interested Businesses should submit a brief capabilities statement package (no more than ten (10) one-sided, 8.5x11inch pages in length with font no smaller than 10 point) demonstrating the ability to perform the services listed in this notice. Vendor responses shall include the following administrative information: 1. Company Name, Company Address, and Points of Contact including name, telephone number, fax number, and email address. 2. Respondents to this notice also must indicate whether they are a large business or qualify as a Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) certified under the SBA 8 (a) Program, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), HUBZone Small Business (HUBZone), or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Concern. 3. Company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history (average over the last three completed fiscal years), office location(s), DUNS number, and a statement regarding current small/large business status. 4. Prior/current corporate experience performing efforts of similar size and scope within the last three years, including contract number, federal customers, indication of whether as a prime or subcontractor, contract amount, Government point of contact with current telephone number, and a brief description of how the referenced requirement relates to the services described herein. 5. Resources available such as corporate management and key personnel to be assigned to tasks under this effort to include professional qualifications, and specific experience of such personnel. 6. Statement regarding capability to obtain the Department of Transportation (DOT) security clearances for personnel. 7. Please note that under a Small-Business Set-Aside, in accordance with FAR 52.219-14, the small business prime must perform at least 50% of the work themselves in terms of the cost of performance. 8. Company's ability to begin performance upon contract award. All responses must be sufficient to permit agency analysis to determine bona fide capability to meet requirements. Primary Point of Contact: Carolyn Wilson, Contract Specialist Carolyn.Wilson@dot.gov Phone: 202-366-0867 Secondary Point of Contact: Robin Hobbs, Contracting Officer Robin.Wilson@dot.gov Phone: 202-366-4004 Contracting Office Address: Department of Transportation (DOT) / Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Acquisition & Grants Management 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Room: E65-101 Mail Code: HCFA-22 Washington, DC 20590 DISCLAIMER: THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.