1g Sources Sought PR NRMJ10002300614.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Roof Removal and Replacement

American Samoa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory

This Sources Sought Notice is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal or Quotation. It is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract nor will the Government pay for any information provided;

no basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response to this Sources Sought Notice or Government use of any information provided.

Pursuant to FAR Part 10 (Market Research), the purpose of this notice is to:

1. Determine if sources capable of satisfying the agency's requirements exists.

2. Determine whether the acquisition should utilize any of the small business programs in accordance with FAR Part 19.

Pursuant to FAR Part 6 and FAR Part 19, competition and set-aside decisions may be based on the results of this market research. This notice in no way obligates the Government to any further action.

Requirement: This notice is issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Western Acquisition Division and American Samoa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory (SMO) to identify sources capable of providing the following:

The requirement is to provide roof removal and replacement at the American Samoa Observatory, located in Tula, American Samoa.

Anticipated Period of Performance: The anticipated period of performance is 01 September, 2023 to 31 August, 2024. A Firm-Fixed-price contract is anticipated for award.

NAICS Code/Size Standard: The applicable NAICS Code is 238160, Roofing Contractors, and the size standard is $19.0M.

Scope of Work: The subject project is to remove and replace roofing systems at the SMO. This observatory is one of NOAA’s four atmospheric baseline observatories worldwide and monitors the composition of air flowing off the Pacific Ocean. Sitting on a 26.7-acre parcel of land, the observatory hosts a number of complementary atmospheric research projects from universities, federal agencies, and foreign research groups.

Logistically, a 0.5 mile paved asphalt private road connects the main road (Route 1 in the village of Tula) with the observatory facility. Following the contours of the hillside, it is a narrow road with many twists and steep hills. The driveway can be challenging for longer vehicles due to the narrow width, rolling topography, and occasional sharp corners. All Wheel Drive and Four Wheel Drive vehicles are recommended for accessing the observatory, especially when the roads are wet from rain storms. The power lines do cross over the road in multiple locations along the driveway and may pose an overhead obstruction issue for very tall vehicles (no known issues with the powerlines obstructing access to the site historically). Trees and dense vegetation may also pose an overhead obstruction for the tallest vehicles and/or vehicles that are extra wide.

All cargo coming into/out of American Samoa is via ship or aircraft. The port is located in Pago Pago, approximately 45 minutes from the SMO site. The airport is located in Tafuna, approximately 60-80 minutes from SMO. Most hotels, stores, and services are located near Pago Pago and Tafuna.

Few stores on the island stock construction supplies and their inventory is highly variable. It is likely that all materials for the project will need to be shipped to American Samoa in advance of construction work starting. Materials can be staged under the carport from arrival on island until installation. Additional or alternate staging locations can be coordinated with NOAA around the perimeter of the main observatory.

Located on an island in the South Pacific Ocean, the observatory is located in a highly corrosive environment. The island receives frequent, heavy rainfall (approx. 200 inches of rain annually) and averages around 80 degrees F (26.7 C). The high humidity and salt spray from the ocean expedite corrosion, making high quality building materials, corrosion-resisting treatments, and regular maintenance necessary. In addition, American Samoa is located in an active tectonic region, experiencing earthquakes and tsunamis, and is regularly in the path of tropical storms, requiring adherence to the latest building technology and regulations (seismic, wind, etc.).

The main American Samoa Observatory building was constructed in 1973 to house scientific instruments and provide office space for NOAA staff members. The building is 17’4” wide by 81’ 4” ft long and constructed out of cement blocks. The building was renovated in 2005, including the installation of a new roof. The roof is a standing seam metal roof covering ~75% of the building and the remaining 25% has a flat EPDM rubber roof section supporting a round ~10.5 ft diameter instrument shelter and dome. Additional interior renovations were completed in 2009 following a major earthquake and tsunami to make the site safer and more resilient during earthquakes. The observatory has a kitchenette break area with a refrigerator and microwave and a bathroom that will be made accessible to the vendor’s team when they are on site (during business hours only).

The current roof has 4 main components: a metal roof with an instrumented catwalk installed at its peak, a nearly-flat EPDM roof supporting a 10.5 ft diameter instrument dome, an carport attached to the northern side of the building that also supports a solar photovoltaic system, and the gutter system that collects rainwater in a buried cistern for the observatory’s gray water system.

● Metal roof condition: There is significant corrosion on the current roof system that originated at the gutter edges of the roof panels and has moved inward on the roofing material over time. The roof supports an instrumented metal catwalk. The catwalk itself has electrical outlets spaced out along its length. Beneath the catwalk are pass-throughs for cables to route from the roof and catwalk, into the laboratory rooms.

● Rubber roof condition: This portion of the roof is nearly flat, and has consistent water ponding problems from not being sloped appropriately toward the water drains around the roof’s edges. This roof gets heavy foot traffic on a daily basis and must not pose a slip or trip hazard to staff and visitors. In the middle of the flat rubber roof is a circular instrument shelter and dome.

The entire dome and supporting wall structure will be replaced concurrently with this roof replacement.

● Carport condition: The corrugated metal carport roof is due for replacement. It supports the observatory’s solar panel array and covers the main entrance of the observatory building. It currently has holes and significantly leaks water during rain events.

● Gutter Condition: The metal roof’s gutters and downspouts drain into the water tank used on the station’s (non-potable) gray water system. The gutters and downspouts have nearly corroded through and are past their useful lifespan.

The current standing seam metal roof, installed in 2005, has deteriorated significantly in the last ~18-years. NOAA has discovered that a major issue with this particular roofing design is that no vendors or materials are available on the island to do repair work on this specialized metal roof style. 99% of the buildings on the island with metal roofs use corrugated metal panel products. As such, this solicitation encourages the use of roofing panels that are familiar to local contractors and possibly available in local stores (limited supplies) for future repairs should any be needed. Moving to a roofing style and material that is congruent with the other buildings on the island and one that will last as long as possible in the harsh tropical environment of American Samoa is highly-desirable.

Scientific measurements obtained at SMO often represent the global background conditions for the atmospheric research community. As such, the measurements taken at the site are highly precise and need to be safeguarded to ensure that indoor room air and/or local site contamination does note negatively impact the long-term records. NOAA has developed a comprehensive banned construction materials (chemicals) list and each product used at the site must be cleared against this banned chemical list prior to use. The banned construction materials list will be provided to vendors and NOAA can assist with reviewing individual products as needed. Furthermore, it will be required to keep the science at SMO operational as much as possible throughout construction activities. For example, temporary power might be required and/or a phased approach to building modifications that allow for scientific systems to stay online to the greatest extent possible. Instruments may need to be removed from the roof and re-established on platforms elsewhere on the grounds. All onsite work must be coordinated with the station lead. All new construction work shall meet current code requirements. Vendors will be responsible for obtaining any necessary permits.

Submission of Information: Companies that have capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to provide information to contribute to this market survey/sources sought notice including commercial market information and company information.

Companies may respond to this Sources Sought Notice via the following Google Portal no later than 11 May, 2023 at 10:00 AM Mountain Time:

https://forms.gle/8mpTSShwkijKLfys8

Please provide the following information/documentation:

1. Name of Company, Address and Unique Entity ID.

2. Point of Contact and Phone Number.

3. Business Size applicable to the NAICS Code: 8(a) Small Business Concern, Hub Zone Small

Business Concern, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Concern (SDVOSBC) or a Small Business Concern.

4. Statement for Proposal Submission:

• Evidence of experience in work similar in type and scope to include contract numbers, project titles, points of contact and telephone numbers.

• Brief statement on how your company will perform the work.

• Confirmation that your company WILL submit a proposal as a prime contractor if a solicitation is issued as a result of this Sources Sought Notice.

Interested parties: Need to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to submit sufficient detailed information may result in considering a company as not a viable source and may influence competition and set-aside decisions. Regardless of the information obtained from this Sources Sought Notice, the Government reserves the right to consider any arrangement as deemed appropriated for this requirement.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this Sources Sought Notice. The Government reserves the right to use any information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate, including using technical information provided by respondents in any resultant solicitation.

After a review of the responses received from this notice, a pre-solicitation notice and solicitation may be published on the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE). It is the potential offeror's responsibility to monitor the GPE for release of any future solicitation that may result from this Sources Sought Notice. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will not be considered adequate responses to any resultant solicitation.