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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Kansas City District (NWK), is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in, and the resources to support, the requirement for water injection dredging (WID) services. The intention is to procure these services on a competitive basis.

DISCLAIMER

Based on the responses to this sources sought notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses (in full or in part) or procured through full and open competition. All Small Business Set-Aside categories will be considered.

This is a Sources Sought Notice and is for informational purposes only. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), or an Invitation for Bid (IFB). There is no bid package, solicitation, specifications or drawings available with this announcement. It does not constitute a procurement commitment by USACE, implied or otherwise. No contract will be awarded from this Sources Sought Notice. Response is strictly voluntary; no reimbursement will be made for any cost associated with providing information in response to this Sources Sought or any follow-up information requests. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any improperly identified information. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE). It is the responsibility of potential contractors to monitor the GPE for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to contractors regarding their submissions.

Additional information may be requested after initial response, either from individual respondents or all respondents. This Sources Sought is the only document that will be published notifying potential contractors of the Government’s intent of establishing a competitive market base.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Place of Performance: Tuttle Creek Lake in Riley County, Kansas.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 237990 (Exception) Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction.

Small Business Size Standard: $37,000,000.00.

USACE, Kansas City District, is pursuing a Water Injection Dredging (WID) Demonstration at Tuttle Creek Reservoir, planned to begin in spring 2024 with additional demonstration periods lasting approximately five days each in the summer and fall. WID is a process in which large volumes of water are injected at low pressure into the sediment bed near the bottom of the reservoir through the use of pumps and a series of nozzles located on a horizontal pipe positioned above the sediment bed. The proposed demonstration project will be aimed at utilizing WID to fluidize reservoir bed sediment, creating a density current that will allow the sediment to flow by gravity toward the existing low-level outlet in the dam, and monitoring the flow of the density current through the outlet during controlled discharges. This demonstration project will be the first time WID has been used in a lake anywhere in the world and the first time in Kansas that sediment is intentionally managed in a large lake by passing it downstream.

Description of Work: The project will consist of operation of a water injection dredge at various locations in Tuttle Creek Reservoir. This demonstration project will assess the effectiveness of the technology at a range of downstream discharges, pool elevations, and in-reservoir locations specified by the Government in order to provide information for potential long-term implementation. This project will also supply information that can guide reservoir sediment management at other reservoirs.

Base work shall include operation of the dredge in three discrete, 5-day periods from Fall 2024 to Spring 2026. 10 hours per day continuous active operation, 5 work-days per week. The Contractor is not responsible to remove a specified dredging volume or attain a final cut elevation. Active dredging does not include transit time to/from docking facilities, maintenance, refueling, meetings, or other support time. Nor does it include mechanical failure, weather days, or any other delays.

The Contractor shall supply, assemble, operate, and maintain the dredge and all supporting equipment to complete the dredging at Tuttle Creek Lake, KS. Contractor must construct any facilities needed for dredge assembly, maintenance, fueling and operations and any waiting periods in-between seasons. No dock or harbor facilities are available.

The anticipated contract will be accomplished by labor categories that are subject to the Davis-Bacon Act or a collective bargaining agreement.

Estimated Period of Performance: 600 calendar days after the date the Contractor receives the Notice to Proceed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

NWK intends to hold an Industry Day on 23 October 2023 at 10 am CST and it will be held electronically. This scheduled industry day will enable potential contractors to further understand the history behind the requirement as well as understand certain areas of specific interest for the intended requirement. Attendance at the industry day is not a requirement and in no way will it have any effect on any company from submitting a response to this Sources Sought Notice and/or a response to any forthcoming solicitation.

To register for this industry day, send an email to Contract Specialist Laura Hedrick at laura.l.hedrick@usace.army.mil by 4:00 pm CST on 20 October 2023. The email must provide the business name, address, attendee name(s), a point of contact phone number and email address. The subject line of the email should read “(Name of requirement) Industry Day”. Specifics, including directions, agenda, question forms, and ground rules will be provided by email upon approved registration. This industry day may be rescheduled and/or cancelled.

*If you do not have a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code or a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and you are interested in pursuing a contract with the Government, please register in the SAMs website as soon as possible (register through https://www.sam.gov/SAM/). CAGE codes and UEIs are required prior to the submission of your quote/proposal/bid, but not required for this Sources Sought.

To be considered interested and/or qualified, firms must submit the following minimum requirements:

1. Company Information (Identify if using a joint venture or partnering). The following information is required.
   
   
   
   • Company Name
   
   
   • Mailing Address
   
   
   • Points of Contact with Phone Numbers and E-Mails
   
   
   • SAM.gov Unique Entity ID (UEI) Number
   
   
   
   


2. Offeror's type of business and business size. (If small business, Company’s current small business category (Small Business, HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned, Woman-Owned, and/or 8(a)) as it relates to the specified NAICS Code or something similar.


3. Ability to successfully comply with the clauses/provisions FAR 52.215-22 Limitations on Pass-Thru Charges, FAR 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns, and FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting.


4. Capability: Provide your firms capability to perform this requirement, to include types of equipment that may be used.


5. Capacity: Can your firm accomplish this requirement?


6. Show past performance/experience on projects of similar scope and magnitude. Describe no more than five (5) projects within the past 5 years to include any dredging in reservoirs and dredging to depths 80 feet or greater. The past performance information should include project title, location, general description of the construction to demonstrate relevance to the proposed projects, the Offeror’s role, dollar value of contract, and name of the company, agency or government entity for which the work was performed with contact information (reference name, phone number and e-mail address).


7. Previous experience with WID and design/manufacture of dredging-related equipment.


8. Ability to construct at a minimum a temporary WID system to the design specifications listed below:

At a minimum, the WID system used for the operation could be temporarily mounted on a barge or other vessel for the duration of the demonstration. Specifications for the WID system include:

Maximum Dredging Depth: Given that more continuous WID bypassing operations could be conducted at higher reservoir water elevations, design dredging depths of 80-90 ft for the WID system are of interest.

Minimum Depth Operation Range: 15 to 20 feet

Dredge Instrumentation System:

• A Global Positioning System (GPS)-based dredge positioning system (e.g., DREDGEPACK®) is required to indicate an injection beam X, Y and Z position relative to reservoir bottom survey data.

• Vacuum and pressure indication of dredge pump.

• Pipeline water velocity measurement.

• Pump engine performance parameters (rpm, temperature, oil pressure, etc.).

System Pumping Capacity and Deployment Configuration and Vessel Dimensions and Propulsion: WID design optimization will require efficient blending of deployment vessel dimensions and propulsion power elements with the system pumping components (pump size, riser dimensions/jet beam configuration, etc.).

Jet Angle: Perpendicular to reservoir bottom (+/- 15 degrees)

Jet Bar Minimum Width: 40 feet

Jet Spacing / Nozzle Diameter: 6-12 inches / 2-4 inches

Jet Flow Volume: 32,000-40,000 gal/min

Rated Pump Pressure: 20-50 psi

1. Anticipated WID system construction timeline in months and/or weeks.


2. Ability to operate the WID for the demonstration during the three planned 5-day periods from April 2024 to November 2024. If unable to operate the WID for the three planned 5-day periods (April 8 – 12, July 15 – 19, and October 7 – 11, 2024) provide an alternative schedule.


3. Would you leave the WID system intact and store the WID system onsite between the planned periods or completely demobilize after each period?

Contractors are advised that information provided to the Government in regard to this Sources Sought Notice will be considered Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and will not be released to the public or other potential contractors. The Government may retain this information for its records indefinitely.

All questions and sources sought responses must be submitted to the primary and secondary points of contact associated with this notice.

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