Request for Qualifications

Franklin County

Request for Qualifications

On-Call Material Testing 2015
Franklin County is requesting Statements of Qualifications from firms interested in providing on-call materials sampling and testing services. Services shall include the sampling and testing of roadway and building construction materials including, but not limited to: hot mix asphalt, cement concrete, grout, aggregates, soils, high performance coatings, fire proofing, bolted connections, welded connections, and concrete masonry units. This on-call agreement shall be for a one-year period (calendar year 2015). At the option of the County, the agreement may be extended beyond the one-year period for specific task assignments.
The consultant shall be familiar with applicable ASTM International, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), American Welding Society (AWS) and American Concrete Institute (ACI) standards and testing methods. In addition, the consultant shall have a laboratory that is accredited by AASHTO for materials sampling and testing and be qualified according to ASTM E329 to perform soil materials and rock-definition testing.

All firms are hereby advised that compliance with local, state, and federal requirements for Equal Employment Opportunities is required. EEO compliance review reports will be used on select projects.

Anticipated Projects

This solicitation is for on-call services to provide material sampling and testing for Franklin County. While no guarantee of the amount of work is given, Franklin County anticipates utilizing the selected firm’s services on some or all of the following projects:

CRP602 Juniper Dunes Recreation Area Access – Construction of approximately five (5) miles of new road to access the Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area. Testing needs include aggregates and soils. Project is expected to be in the preliminary engineering and right-of-way acquisition phase for 2015.

CRP605 Pasco-Kahlotus Road Reconstruction/Overlay II – Reconstructing portion of the roadway; overlay and shoulder widening for approximately 2.8 miles of a county road. Testing needs include aggregates and hot mix asphalt. Project is expected to be in construction from August 2015 through October 2015.

CRP607 Birch Bridge #922-4.15 – Replace existing timber bridge with structural steel plate arch. Testing needs include aggregates, soils, cement concrete, hot mix asphalt, and bolted connections. Project is in construction now and is expected to be complete in April 2015.

CRP609 Basin City Alternative Transportation Route Improvement – Replace pedestrian ramps, install new sidewalk, improve adjunct facilities, and replace and update signalized crossing. Testing needs include aggregates and cement concrete. Project is expected to be in construction from June 2015 through August 2015.

Expected Testing Requirements

In addition to those tests appearing in the WSDOT 2014 Standard Specifications for Roads, Bridges and Municipal Construction, the WSDOT Construction Manual and the AASHTO 2014 Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing, the following is a listing of known tests and testing standards that may be utilized on Franklin County projects for the agreement term:

Cement Concrete Hot Mix Asphalt Soils & Aggregates Fire Proofing

ASTM C172 ASTM D3549 ASTM D1557 ASTM E605

ASTM C143/C143M ASTM D979 ASTM D1556 ASTM E736

ASTM C231 AASHTO T168 ASTM D2167 AWCI Technical Manual 12-A

ASTM C1064 ASTM D1188 ASTM D2922

ASTM C31C/C31M ASTM D2726 ASTM D2937

ASTM C39/C39M ASTM D1188 ASTM D2487

ASTM C42/C42M ASTM D2950

Welded Connections Concrete Masonry Unit

AWS D1.1/D1.1M ASTM C140

ASTM E165 ASTM C780

ASTM E709 ASTM C1019

ASTM E164 ASTM C1314

ASTM E94
Bolted Connections – RCSC Specification for Structural Joints Using ASTM A325 or A490 Bolts

High Performance Coatings – Dry film Thickness
The above is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all tests that may be performed but rather to give interested firms an idea of minimum expectations.

Evaluation Criteria
The following criteria will be used to score each firms submittal. Please complete the turn-around time sheet for each test listed in Attachment A as part of your firms RFQ packet.
Familiarity with WSDOT standard specifications and construction manual 5 points

Ability to perform xpected Testing Requirements listed in RFQ documents 5 points

Similar project experience 5 points

Client references 5 points

AASHTO accreditation and other certifications 5 points

Past experience with the County 5 points

Experience of personnel to be assigned to project work 5 points

Size of firm and ability to take on expected work load 5 points

Location of AASHTO-accredited testing facility in relation to FCPW office 10 points

Turn-around time for tests Listed in RFQ documents 10 points

Testing facility tour (top two scores from above only) 10 points

Total 70 points

Scoring and Selection
Each firm’s response to the RFQ will be evaluated on the above criteria. The top two aggregated scores ,scores, excluding the testing facility tour, will be chosen and a facility tour will be conducted to complete the selection evaluation. In the event the top two scores before the testing facility tour are different by more than 10 points, the County reserves the right to make a selection based solely on the information provided in the response to the RFQ and no tour will be conducted.
The evaluation team will consist of not less than three (3) and no more than five (5) County employees who have direct knowledge of the testing to be performed and who will be directly impacted by the services provided under the agreement. The average of the scores from each member of the evaluation team will be used to determine the selected firm.
Scoring is based on the most qualified firm to provide the indicated services. Hourly rates, unit rates, and overhead costs cannot be considered in the selection process and will be removed from any materials submitted. Firms are strongly discouraged from submitting this information as part of their response.
Response Submittal
Responses shall be limited to ten (10) pages (single sided, minimum 11 pt font), excluding cover sheet, cover letter, table of contents, section dividers, client references, staff resumes, certifications, and the turn-around times in Attachment A. Staff resumes shall be limited to one (1) page each. No fewer than five (5) similar project references shall be included. Project references shall be within the past three (3) years and shall include the agency name, contact person, phone number, and a brief description of the services provided. Client reference letters shall be limited to five (5) and shall be dated within the past three (3) years.
Submit six (6) copies of the RFQ response packet (one original and five copies) to the Franklin County Public Works Office at 3416 Stearman Ave, Pasco, WA 99301. Email and fax submittals will not be accepted. Responses are due no later than 4:00 PM on Friday December 5, 2014. Submittals received after that time will not be considered.
Questions

All questions may be directed to Kathleen Neuman, Associate Engineer, at the address above, by phone at 509-545-3514, or via email at [e-mail].

Attachment A

Estimated Turn-around Time for Required Testing

Please give your firms time for completing the following tests, with the following assumptions.

1. 
   Time begins when the sample is taken in the field.
   
2. 
   Time ends when the material test results have been reported to the County in writing (email/fax is acceptable).
   
3. 
   Please give an average amount of time considering the firms normal work load during the time frames listed in the anticipated projects and time it takes to perform the test per the testing specification requirements.
   

WSDOT / AASHTO TEST Average Time (Days/Hours)

• 
  Moisture-Density Relations of Soils AASHTO T-99
  
• 
  Moisture Content of Soils AASHTO T-265
  
• 
  Moisture Content of Aggregate AASHTO T-255
  
• 
  Sieve Analysis of Fine & Course Aggregate AASHTO T-27/T-11
  
• 
  Sand Equivalent Test AASHTO T-176
  
• 
  Fracture in Course Aggregate WSDOT TP-61
  
• 
  Compaction Control of Granular Materials WSDOT T-606
  
• 
  Flat & Elongated Particles in Course Aggregate WSDOT D-4791
  
• 
  Asphalt Binder Content AASHTO T-308
  
• 
  Theoretical Gravity & Density AASHTO T-209
  
• 
  Sieve Analysis of Fine & Course Aggregate AASHTO T-27/T-11