DOT, Fed Hwy Admin, Office Of Acquisition Management, 400 7th St, SW, Room 4410, Washington, DC 20590

A -- TIMBER BRIDGE RESEARCH SOL DTFH61-97-B-00029 DUE 032497 POC Behrooz Behpoory, Contract Specialist, HAM-30B, (202)366-4224 This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)identifies the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) intention to sponsor research in the area of timber bridges per the 1991 ISTEA Legislation. The broad objectives of this research program are to advance the state-of-the art in timber bridge technology and to advance the use of this technology to replace/rehabilitate deteriorated highway bridges. While the FHWA is strongly promoting creativity and innovation in this BAA and is very interested in developing new, and improved methods and techniques in the area of timber highway bridges, it is essential that the data collected or the methodology proposed be useable and useful by bridge owners. Emphasis will given to proposals which demonstrate a high potential for implementation by State and local transportation agencies. The FHWA is inviting proposals to sponsor research in the following specific areas: 1.Effects of Seismic Loadings on Timber Bridges. Within the past several years there have been significant seismic activities in the United States and elsewhere where numerous bridges have been damaged due to earthquakes. Performance of steel and concrete highway bridges have generally been documented, and significant research has gone into developing better details for these structures. It is not known if any effort has been spent on documenting the performance of timber bridge structures in these areas. Therefore, the FHWA desires to sponsor research to determine performance of timber bridges in seismically active regions. This effort would include assessing structural performance, documenting results, and making recommendations if necessary for design changes, better details, etc. Current seismic design provisions should be reviewed to determine their applicability and necessity for timber bridges. It is not expected that significant experimental testing will be conducted on this project, although the offeror is welcome to provide suggestions as to all aspects of this research. The successful Offeror(s) should have experience in seismic design and analysis, and on the performance of bridges under seismic loadings. The successful Offeror(s) should also have relevant experience in the area of timber structures, and be knowledgeable in the current AASHTO codes, and specifications especially as related to the seismic provisions. Period of performance is limited to 24 months. The Government will fund up to 80% of the total estimated cost of this research. 2.Structural Composite Lumber Structural Composite Lumber (SCL) is a family of new engineered wood products for bridge construction that was approved for use by AASHTO in 1995. Although there are several bridges already built using SCL, since it is a relatively new product there are issues that need to be addressed in order to understand the long term performance of these bridge types. The effect of creep over the life of a structure has a significant impact on the design of a structure. This is an important issue for all timber structures, and an issue that has not been explored in structures constructed with SCL. For many timber bridge types the controlling criteria for design is deflection rather than strength of the wood. Research is needed to identify what effects SCL structures have in reducing long term deflections. Other important issues of concern include but are not limited to the evaluation of the effects of cyclic moisture changes; exposure to ultraviolet light; cyclic fatigue loading; effects of preservatives; and structural integrity of designs currently used, in addition to long term deflection and creep. The successful Offeror(s) should be experienced with the performance of timber bridges, and timber bridges constructed of engineered wood products; and have knowledge and experience in the area of structural composite lumber. The proposal should provide a detailed description of each issues of concern, and how they will be addressed to determine the adequacy of SCL for bridge use. The period of performance for this studyis 36 months. The Government will fund up to 80% of the total estimated cost of this research. 3. Remedial Treatments for Bridge Applications. Many State highway agencies are leary of using timber as a material for new bridge construction, even though thousands of timber bridges exist on our road system. One of their concerns is the longevity of timber members. Although preservative systems used today can significantly solve this problem, due to weathering timber members are subject to cracking and checking which breaks the preservative envelop and exposes the untreated wood to wood destroying organisms. If no corrective action is taken then severe structural damage may occur. Early remedial maintenance conducted when decay or other deterioration is present but when structural damage is at a minimum may prolong the members and not affect the capacity or performance of the bridge. Therefore, a remedial treatment needs to be developed to protect and maintain structural integrity of wood members. The FHWA desires to sponsor research to evaluate existing and new wood fumigants for remediation of internal decay in bridge members. Many chemicals are restricted use pesticides which may limit their use to a licensed applicator. It is desired this research explore treatments that are environmentally safe during application, use, and removal/disposal. The treatments should be easy to apply by construction or maintenance personnel. The fumigants developed must be compatible with wood preservatives currently used. If fummigants are species dependent, this needs to be explored. Performance of fumigants on engineered wood products also should be evaluated. The fumigants should not react with the hardware used. Many fummigants may eventually diffuse out of the wood, allowing decay fungi to recolonize. This issue needs to be addressed and guidance provided on retreatment. Specific guidance on use, retreatment, environmental or health risks, and precautions to be taken by personnel must be provided. The successful Offeror(s) should also indicate the experimental approach to be taken to insure the developed treatments will perform satisfactorily for bridge applications. The scope of work includes but is not limited to identification of the fumigants to be used; testing of the fumigants in different wood species, and engineered wood products to study - toxicity, retention level, and effect on hardware; and recommendations on use and retreatment. The period of performance for this study is limited to 30 months. The Government will fund up to 80% of the total estimated cost of this research. 4.Durability of Timber Bridges Timber was the primary material for building bridges for much of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Timber was replaced by steel and then concrete as the material of choice in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Today there are approximately 41,743 timber bridges in the United States as recorded in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). In addition there are approximately another 42,102 steel bridges with timber decks. For the most part these are older structures that have lasted a number of years. According to the NBI about 47% of all timber bridges are classified as structurally deficient. As a result many, almost 30,000, have low load ratings yet continue to carry overloaded trucks everyday. The FHWA desires to sponsor research to address the durability issues of timber bridges by focusing on better condition assessment technology. The objective of this study is to address the durability issues of timber bridges, and/or timber decks by first assessing if there is indeed a durability problem with timber bridges, and to develop, if needed, improved means of realistic evaluation criteria for timber bridges. If condition of the structure can be better evaluated then rating formulas based on quantitative condition evaluation rather than subjective visual inspection can be used to give a better indication of the load carrying capacity of a structure. Among the possible results of such an investigation could be the development of standard criteria for evaluating timber bridges. It is expected this study would investigate the loss/change of strength in existing timber bridge members due to use and age considering, in general, the age of the bridge, designs used, material characteristics and condition, and the preservative systems used. It is also expected that NBI data for timber bridges and steel bridges with timber decks would be analyzed, and actual field inspections, on a statistically valid sample, be conducted to correlate with the NBI results. The Offerer(s) should propose innovative ways to address these issues. Information from this study will be valuable to bridge owners, decision makers, designers, and inspectors. The period of performance for this study 30 months. The Government will fund up to 80% of the total estimated cost of this research.B.REQUIREMENTS The studies proposed under this announcement are broad to invite innovation and to provide the FHWA the flexibility to fund multiple research proposals which best addresses the objectives of each study. Specific approach in the selected proposals may vary and will be negotiated. However, the Contractor's research effort shall include, but not be limited to, the following components: 1.A thorough review of the literature and previous research which establishes the state of knowledge and experience relative to the proposed research and development effort, and the relationship of the proposed work with previous research, if any. 2. A detailed discussion and critical evaluation of how the methods, techniques or technologies developed and the data collected could be used by bridge owners. 3. A demonstration and critical evaluation of any methods, techniques or technologies developed. The technical proposal submitted shall contain sufficient discussion to justify and support any alternative approach. The specific contract deliverables will depend upon the scope and objectives of the negotiated contract. At a minimum, the contractor shall submit a final report and technical summary that documents the research conducted in each task identified in the proposal. Additional deliverables such as interim reports, computer programs and documentation could be required. Specific deliverables will be identified in the negotiated statement of work. D.CONTRACT PERIOD-Negotiable, but no more than 36 months. E.CONTRACT TYPE-Each project will be fixed price. Because of the legislative mandate cost sharing is required with government funding up to 80% of the cost. The recipients of research must provide minimum 20% match. F.SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS -This notice is the only solicitation for these projects. Proposals responding to this BAA must be valid for 180 days, and may be funded at any time during that validity period. Proposals should be submitted in ten copies by not later than 4:00 p.m. EST March 24, 1997, at the; Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Room 4410, HCP-31,Washington, D.C. 20590. Please show BAA number DTFH61-97-B-00029 and the closing date on the forwarding envelope. Late proposals will be handled in accordance with FAR 15.412. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. G. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS- Any resulting contracts will contain appropriate federal agency clauses for the type of contract awarded. Successful offeror(s) shall be required to submit "Certifications and Representations" prior to award. Data and reporting requirements will be negotiated with successful offeror(s). In responding to this announcement, please submit your proposal in two parts, as follows: 1. TECHNICAL -- A work plan shall be submitted that reflects a review of pertinent research in the proposed area and that describes in detail how the offeror will proceed if awarded a contract. Detail the tasks envisioned for the work, the approach, the methodology, the data collection techniques, any equipment requirements and deployment, other investigative tools to be employed, and the amount of time necessary to perform each task. A separate Statement of Work, detailing the technical tasks to be accomplished and suitable for contractual incorporation, shall be included with the proposal. Resumes of key personnel shall be included as attachments. The Principal Investigator (P.I.) and/or Co-P.I. shall be required to devote a minimum of 30 percent of his/her time to the research. The technical proposal shall not exceed 60 single-sided, 8.5 X 11 inch pages. Text shall be in 12 pitch or larger type, double-spaced. The page limit includes all information, i.e., charts, illustrations, resumes, attachments, etc. 2. COST -- The cost or price breakdown shall be submitted utilizing Standard Form 1411 (Contract Pricing Proposal Sheet) as a cover sheet, together with supporting detail, complete cost data, including information on cost sharing, and any subcontractor data in accordance with FAR 15.804-6. Include a person-hour breakdown by task. H. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS AND AWARD EVALUATION CRITERIA: Individual proposal evaluations will be based on acceptability or unacceptability without regard to other proposals submitted under this BAA. The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical factors, potential contributions to the overall objectives of the national timber bridge research program, proposed cost relative to the benefits, and availability of funds. Cost realism and reasonableness shall also be considered to the extent appropriate. Technical merit will be evaluated based on the following criteria (listed in descending order of importance): (1) Technical Merit of the Proposed Research- The technical merit of the proposed research, including the completeness, adequacy, implementability, uniqueness, innovativeness of the proposed work plan and how well the proposed research addresses the stated research objectives. (2) Understanding of the Problem-Demonstrated understanding of the issues involved in each study. Particular emphasis will be placed upon a demonstrated understanding of the current highway technology, current technology related to wood, and timber bridge technology related to the proposed research. (3) Organization's Qualifications to Perform Research, including: (a) Availability and qualifications of the necessary staff to complete the proposed work, including qualifications of the Principal Investigator and other members of the research team, and demonstrated successful completion of similar projects;(b) technical management; and (c) resources, facilities and equipment. Offerors should address in full each of the above criteria and subcriteria. The comprehensiveness and quality of the proposed effort, especially the completeness of the proposed work plan, and past performance will contribute significantly in the selection process. Innovative solutions, approaches and techniques which address the stated objectives will be considered. The offeror's ability to identify technical needs and to design a study to meet these needs within budget are essential skills in the accomplishment of the contract objectives. The FHWA reserves the right to select for award any, all, part or none of the proposals submitted. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS- The Government anticipates that $700,000 will be dedicated to this BAA, and anticipates making multiple awards. It is anticipated that no single proposal will be funded for more than $175,000. Should additional funds for this program become available, the Government reserves the right to fund additional meritorious proposals within the stated proposal validity date. The Government reserves the right to incorporate ideas from successful offers into future contracts. This Broad Agency Announcement does not commit the Government to pay for response preparation costs. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the FHWA. (0035)

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