Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Acquisition Management, 400 7th St. SW, Washington, DC, 20590

36 -- DIRECT TENSION TESTER SOL DTT DUE 091698 POC Kathy Farrell, Contract Specialist, Phone (202) 366-4215, Fax (202) 366-3705, Email kathy.farrell@fhwa.dot.gov -- Frank Waltos, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 366-4205, Fax (202) 366-3705, Email WEB: Visit this URL for the latest information about this, http://159.142.150.114/cgi-bin/WebObjects/EPS?ActionCode=P&;ProjectID=D TT&LocationID=30. E-MAIL: Kathy Farrell, kathy.farrell@fhwa.dot.gov. This is a pre-solicitation notice provided in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.201 and 15.202. In accordance with the Advisory Multi-step Process described at FAR 15.202, potential offerors are invited to submit information in response to the anticipated future (Fall 1998)procurement of Direct Tension Testers (DTT)described below. The government will, in turn, advise those that respond to this notice of their potential to be a viable competitor. The purpose of the DTT is to generate data that can be utilized in predictions of failure properties (failure strength, failure strain, and the stress-strain curve up to the point of failure to obtain failure energy) of asphalt binder. These properties along with additional rheological properties, also obtained using various other superpave test methods, are then used to control thermal cracking of asphalt pavements. This is accomplished through the DTT device's capability of testing asphalt binder specimen in uniaxial tension. The DTT is designed to apply a constant elongation rate to the specimen until it fails by fracture. The maximum value of stress at failure is the failure strength. The corresponding strain at failure and energy at failure is also reported by the DTT. The DTT shall be a DC servo motor loading unit which incorporates complete direct digital closed loop command and feedback motion control. The unit shall consist of a pre-loaded ball screw with a guidance column for increased lateral stiffness and linear actuator travel. The frame and temperature control bath shall be table-mounted. The loading pins shall be completely submerged under the cooling fluid. Interested parties may submit a statement of qualifications, proposed technical approach, and past performance information that addresses this need. Potential offerors' qualifications will be evaluated on the following: (1) Understanding of the functioning of the DTT, (2) Evidence that the offeror has manufactured a similar asphalt direct tension tester, (3) Adequate manufacturing facilities and technically qualified support staff, and (4) Experience and familiarity with manufacturing and servicing electro-mechanical asphalt testing equipment. Submissions should be forwarded to the contracting officer, Kathy Farrell, at the address indentified above, on or before September 16, 1998. The RFP for procurement of approximately 50 direct tension testers will be released early Fall 1998 and will require all successful offerors to have a working prototype. Inspection of the offeror's facilities and working prototype will be a significant evaluation factor in the award decision for the resulting contract. All working prototypes must meet the specifications located at www.ota.fhwa.gov/teck/pave/te39.html. CORRECTION: Web Site address should be www.ota.fhwa.gov/tech/pave/te39.html Posted 09/01/98 (D-SN244466). (0244)

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