DOT/RSPA/VOLPE National Transportation Systems Center, 55 Broadway, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02142

B -- TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TEST AND INSTRUMENTATION PLAN TO ACQUIRE FULLSCALED DATA ON STRUCTURAL LOADING AND MOTIONS OF A US ARMY RO/RO DISCHARGE FACILITY (RRDF) SOL DTRS57-97-Q-80158 DUE 071497 POC Karen Marino, Purchasing Agent, (617) 494-2437 WEB: Volpe Center Acquisition Division Home Page, http://www.volpe.dot.gov/procure/procure.htm. E-MAIL: Purchasing Agent, doylek@volpe1.dot.gov. The Volpe Center plans to procure through Simplified Acquisition Procedures a sole source procurement to two contractors, VIBTECH, Inc., North Kingston, R.I. and M.J. Plackett & Associates, Corvallis, OR for the development of a test and instrumentation plan for acquiring full scale data on structural loading and motions of a U.S. Army Roll on/Roll off (RO/RO) Discharge Facility (RRDF). These RRDFs are to be used in offload operations of RO/RO sealift ships, they serve as the landing platforms for the cargo ramps of sealift RO/RO vessels. Military cargo that is being landed on an undeveloped beach site or an undersized port will be off-loaded onto the RRDF and then will be moved from the RRDF onto a lighter for transfer to shore. The operation of the RRDF in sea state 3 is desired. Analyses of the platform in assumed sea conditions that were intended to approximate sea state 3 were performed. These predicted the likelihood of fatigue failure of the tensile pins which holds the modules together and also the possibility of exceeding the maximum design loading of these pins. The experience with using these floating causeway modules (RRDF) resulted in no significant failures. For the development of the work to be performed would consist of technical contributions to the planning for this test, technical oversight during the test, and the analysis of the test data. Small Business firms classified under SIC Code 8731 that are interested in proposing on this requirement must demonstrate in writing to the Contracting Officer, no later than 15 days from the date of this synopsis that they: (1) possess the technical expertise, based on prior work involving analysis of the structural loading on the RRDF platform in waves; (2) must have the knowledge of the approach used to analyze the platform, assumptions and loading conditions used for the analysis. Small Business firms will be required to submit documentation in support of the above for evaluation by the Government prior to receiving a quotation. This notice is for informational purposes for Minority, Women-Owned and disadvantaged Business Enterprises: The Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of Small and Business and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), has a program to assist minority, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises to acquire short-term working capital assistance for transportation-related contracts. Loans are available under the DOT Short Term Lending Program (STLP) at prime interest rates to provide accounts receivable financing. The maximum line of credit is $500,000. For further information and applicable forms concerning the STLP, please call the OSDBU at (800) 532-1169. For information concerning the acquisition, contact the contracting official listed above. The solicitation and any document related to this procurement will be available on the Internet, these documents will be available in text format and reside on a WWW server which may be accessed using Web browsers. The WWW address, or URL, of the Volpe Center Acquisition Division home page is: "http://www.volpe.dot.gov/procure/procure.htm". Offerors desiring to receive electronic notification of the solicitation's posting and availability for downloading may register at the Volpe Center site. Contractors are warned that when they register to receive solicitations, amendments, and other notices, the responsibility for providing the Government with an accurate and complete e-mail address lies with the contractor. The Government will make no additional efforts to deliver information when the system indicates that transmission cannot be delivered to the e-mail address provided. Requests for a hardcopy of the solicitation may be mailed or sent via E-Mail to doylek@volpe1.dot.gov. Telephone requests will not be honored. Only written requests for this quotation will be accepted -- however, we will accept requests for this quotation via facsimile, at (617)494-3649, ATTN: Karen Marino, DTS-853 (0175)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0013 19970626\B-0003.SOL)