6-Attachment B - RWIS Equipment RFP SOW 2026.docx

Attachment: B - General Information and Scope of Work

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is seeking to establish multiple-award contracts for qualified vendors that can supply Road Weather Information System (RWIS) instrumentation and related components and parts for existing and new Environmental Sensing Stations (ESS) across the state of Utah.

1. CONTRACT TERM AND PRICE GUARANTEE PERIOD

The term of this contract will be for five (5) years with no renewal options for additional years.

Per Utah Procurement Code 63G-6a-1206.5 Change in Contract Price:

A vendor may:

(1) increase the contract price only in accordance with the terms of the contract; and

(2) lower the contract price at any time during the time a contract is in effect.

All pricing must be guaranteed for 1 year. Following the guarantee period, any request for price adjustment must be for an equal guarantee period and must be made at least 30 days before the effective date. Requests for price adjustment must include sufficient documentation supporting the request (i.e., through Federal commodity indices) and demonstrate a logical mathematical link between the current price and the proposed price.

In a multiple-award situation, any adjustment made by one vendor may result in the necessity of providing the same opportunity to all other contracted vendors to adjust pricing on the same item(s).

UDOT will be given the immediate benefit of any decrease in the market or allowable discount.

Requests for Tariff Adjustments must be submitted in writing and include the following:

1. Request should include a comprehensive cost breakdown detailing how the tariff has impacted the total cost of the finished product, specific to the contract in question.

2. Request should include receipts/customs documentation demonstrating proof of tariff payment and transaction date.

Any adjustment or amendment to the contract will not be effective unless approved by the State.

2. QUANTITY ESTIMATES AND FUTURE PROCUREMENTS

UDOT does not guarantee to purchase any amount under this contract. Historical usage may not be representative of forthcoming need.

UDOT reserves the right to reopen the solicitation on which this contract was based or create a new solicitation if it determines there may be more competition or need for the procurement item than when the original solicitation was posted.

3. SHIPPING, INVOICING, AND WARRANTIES

All shipping costs shall be covered by the vendor and all deliveries shall be F.O.B. Destination to (unless specified differently upon ordering):

UDOT Traffic Operations Center Attn: Weather Operations 2060 S 2760 W Salt Lake City, UT 84104 801-887-3703

Invoices shall also be sent to this address and/or to “tocpayables@utah.gov”.

All items and their subcomponents shall have a minimum two-year warranty or follow the vendor’s listed warranty period, whichever is greater.

4. SUPPLY AND INSPECTIONS

Goods, materials, equipment, and services supplied under this contract shall meet the specifications throughout the term of the contract and are subject to inspection and test by UDOT. The vendor represents that all items offered under this contract are to be new at the time of delivery. All parts not specifically mentioned that are necessary for units to be operational or are normally furnished as standard equipment shall be furnished by the vendor. Parts shall conform in strength, quality, and workmanship to the accepted standard of industry. Units provided shall meet all Federal and State of Utah standards. All units shall comply with, and be tested in accordance with all applicable OSHA, ANSI, CE, CSA, and any other current State and Federal safety standards and regulations. Goods furnished under this contract will be subject to acceptance inspection and performance testing by the State at times and places determined by the State. If the State finds goods furnished to be incomplete or not in compliance with specifications, the State may reject the goods and require the vendor to either correct them without charge or deliver them at a reduced price, which is equitable under the circumstances. If the vendor is unable or refuses to correct such goods within a time deemed reasonable by the State, the State may cancel the order in whole or in part. Nothing in this paragraph will adversely affect the State’s rights, including the rights and remedies associated with revocation of acceptance under the Uniform Commercial Code.

5. VENDOR PERFORMANCE

If the vendor at any time is not meeting project schedule, standards or specifications as agreed upon for the contract, or responding to requests within five (5) business days, the UDOT representative may do any of the following:

· Issue a written warning.

· Withhold orders for any future projects until the issue is rectified.

· Suspend or terminate the vendor’s contract in accordance with State procurement code.

6. TECHNOLOGY MODIFICATIONS

Pursuant to Utah Administrative Rule R33-12-502, the contract(s) may be modified to incorporate new technology or technological upgrades associated with the procurement item being solicited, including new or upgraded: (i) systems; (ii) apparatuses; (iii) modules; (iv) components; and (v) other supplementary items. Further, a maintenance or service agreement associated with the procurement item under the resulting contract(s) may be modified to include any new technology or technological upgrades.

Any contract modification incorporating new technology or technological upgrades will be specific to the procurement item being solicited and substantially within the scope of the original procurement or contract.

II. SCOPE OF WORK

1. BACKGROUND

UDOT’s RWIS currently consists of a complex network of more than 200 ESS and 2,000 tracked devices across the state of Utah, vital for winter maintenance and traveler safety. This network continues to expand, utilizing a mix of cellular, fiber, and radio communications, with power provided via commercial AC service or solar photovoltaic DC systems. Each ESS utilizes atmospheric and road sensors polled at regular intervals by a Campbell Scientific datalogger; data is then retrieved by LoggerNet software hosted on a Windows-based server owned by UDOT.

As long-standing specialists in the field of RWIS, UDOT anticipates that this scope of work could evolve as new technological advances emerge. The program’s primary goal is to provide cost-effective, near-real-time information to all stakeholders, including UDOT’s Traveler Information, Maintenance/Construction, and Traffic Management divisions, as well as public, private, and academic partners.

The purpose of this contract is to procure RWIS instrumentation, components, and parts for UDOT’s Weather Operations Group from multiple vendors so that UDOT can select the most appropriate and reliable hardware for specific environmental conditions or site requirements. Additionally, this contract may be utilized by other UDOT divisions requiring similar equipment for broader Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications.

2. MINIMUM TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for a contract, the vendor in its proposal must prove that it can supply at least one of the items that meet the specifications from the “Item Requirements” list below, and provide pricing for said items. If applicable, the proposed items must meet these overarching general requirements:

General Requirements

1. All applicable items that are not a Remote Processing Unit or other supporting hardware must be compatible with the Remote Processing Unit specified in the section below AND also be compatible with Campbell Scientific’s CR1000X/CR1000Xe dataloggers (i.e., their available communication protocols).

2. Applicable sensors must have calibration functionality, have mounting hardware, and all other necessary hardware must be made available. The vendor must also be able to provide any applicable replacement parts or subcomponents for the items listed.

3. All powered devices shall be 12V and/or 24V DC compatible, and while not required, are encouraged to have low active power consumption to support UDOT’s solar photovoltaic systems.

Item Requirements

1. Remote Processing Unit (RPU)

· Must be compatible with Campbell Scientific’s LoggerNet software

· Minimum operating temperature range: -40 °F to 140 °F

· Communication ports: Ethernet, CS I/O, RS-232, RS-485

· NTCIP 1204 compliant

2. RPU Cabinet/Enclosure

· Minimum internal dimensions: 18 x 16 x 9 inches

· Maximum weight: 50 lbs

· Minimum enclosure classification: NEMA Type 4X / IP66

· Provide mounting options for the towers and tripod listed below, as well as 4-10” diameter poles

3. Frequency-Hopping Spread-Spectrum Radio

· Minimum frequency range: 902-928 MHz

· Minimum operating temperature range: -40 °F to 140 °F

· Communication ports: RS-232 9-pin D female, CS I/O 9-pin D male

· Minimum line-of-sight range: 1 mile

4. Air Temperature and Relative Humidity Sensor

· Minimum air temperature measurement range: -40 °F to 140 °F

· Air temperature accuracy: Maximum ±1.1 °F over the measurement range

· Relative humidity measurement range: 0 to 100%

· Relative humidity sensor accuracy: Maximum ±7% over the measurement range

· Minimum cable length: 5 meters

5. Wind Speed and Wind Direction Sensor (Standard)

· Wind speed range: 0 to 224 mph

· Wind speed accuracy: ±0.6 mph or 1% of reading

· Wind direction range: 0 to 360°, 355° electrical (5° open)

· Wind direction accuracy: ±3°

· Minimum cable length: 10 meters

· Shall not be ultrasonic or require heaters

6. Wind Speed and Wind Direction (Heavy Duty/Ice Resistant)

· Same minimum specifications as the standard sensor above

· Must have a longer service life than the standard sensor above

· Must be designed to resist ice

7. Present Weather and Visibility Sensor

· Minimum visibility range: 5 - 16,094 meters

· Visibility accuracy: 0 to 10,000 meters ±10%

· Ability to determine if hydrometeors are falling

· Ability to determine the intensity at which the hydrometeors are falling

· Minimum cable length: 5 meters

8. Liquid Precipitation Sensor

· Resolution: 0.01”

· Accuracy: ±2% up to 2 in./hr.

· Minimum cable length: 10 meters

9. Solar Radiation Sensor

· Minimum measurement range: 0 to 2000 W/m2

· Accuracy: ±5% maximum

· Stability: <±2% change over 1 year

· Minimum operating temperature range: -40 °F to 140 °F

· Minimum cable length: 5 meters

10. Snow Depth Sensor

· Minimum measurement range: 1.6 to 32.8 ft

· Accuracy: <±0.3%

· Minimum operating temperature range: -40 °F to 120 °F

· Minimum cable length: 5 meters

11. Subsurface Temperature Sensor

· Minimum measurement range: 25 °F to 120 °F

· Accuracy: ±1°F over the measurement range

· Minimum cable length: 5 meters

· Must accommodate burial in soil at an 18-inch depth

12. Soil Moisture Sensor

· Minimum electrical conductivity range: 0 to 8 dS/m

· Electrical conductivity accuracy: ±(5% of reading + 0.05 dS/m)

· Volumetric water content range: 0% to 100%

· Volumetric water content accuracy: ±3% maximum

· Minimum cable length: 10 meters

13. All-in-One Weather Sensor

· One device that can measure and report at least the following variables:

· Air temperature

· Relative humidity

· Wind direction

· Wind speed

· Liquid precipitation amount

· Minimum cable length: 5 meters

14. Instrumentation Tower

· Can accommodate a 10-meter wind sensor height

· Shall not require guy wires

· Wind load rating: at least 110 mph gusts

· Tower designs rated for climbing (minimum 200 lb capacity) are highly desirable. While this will NOT be a mandatory requirement, vendors should note this capability in their submission as a value-added feature to assist UDOT in selecting the most appropriate hardware for specific site requirements.

15. Instrumentation Tripod

· At least 7 ft tall

· Wind load rating: at least 80 mph gusts

16. Road Surface Condition Sensor (Non-Invasive; stand-alone)

· Road state (dry, damp/moist, wet, slush, snow, ice, etc.)

· Friction coefficient/level of grip measurement

· Water layer thickness measurement

· Minimum measurement distance: 32 feet

· Minimum cable length: 10 meters

17. Road Surface Temperature Sensor (Non-Invasive; stand-alone)

· Road temperature accuracy: <±0.6 °F over the measurement range

· Measuring range: -40 °F to +140 °F

· Minimum measurement distance: 32 feet

· Minimum cable length: 10 meters

18. Combination Road Surface Condition and Temperature Sensor(s)

· Must meet the specifications of items 16 and 17

3. EVALUATION

This RFP will be evaluated on an initial pass/fail evaluation, then on other criteria on a 100-point scale (see Attachment D for more information).

3.1. Mandatory Minimums (Pass/Fail)

The vendor must supply all required documentation as listed in Section 5 below.

The vendor must clearly identify which item “categories” they intend to bid on. They then must provide specifications for each item and identify that they meet the applicable General Requirements and Item Requirements from above.

The vendor must also provide at least one (1) reference from a government transportation agency verifying the successful deployment and operation of the vendor’s equipment.

3.2. Experience and Support Evaluation (80 points)

The vendor must score a minimum of 48 points total on the questions below to move on to the following cost evaluation. An evaluation committee will score responses from 0 (Fail) to 5 (Excellent) and then multiply that score by 4.

The vendor shall submit a document with responses to these four questions:

· Question 1 (20 points): Provide an overview of your organization and its history in the meteorological and transportation sectors. Discuss your organizational philosophy regarding data integrity and long-term equipment reliability.

· Question 2 (20 points): Describe your organization’s experience providing RWIS instrumentation to government transportation agencies or similar weather station networks within the last five (5) years.

· Question 3 (20 points): Describe your organization’s role as the primary point of accountability for technical issues. How would you ensure a client receives a resolution for complex hardware or firmware challenges? Discuss your methodology for addressing a client’s concerns to ensure that technical bugs or hardware flaws are resolved by relevant staff.

· Question 4 (20 points): For simpler issues, discuss your customer support, returns, and warranty process. How are these processes structured to achieve UDOT’s goals in the most efficient manner and minimize the administrative burden on UDOT staff during equipment failures or return-to-factory (RMA) events?

3.3. Cost Evaluation (20 points)

Because this is a multi-award, partial-bid solicitation, cost points will be assigned per item “category”; item “categories” will be awarded to each vendor that passes the previous sections and the item's cost evaluation.

For each category, the lowest proposed price among all qualified vendors will receive 20 points. Other vendors will receive points based on this formula:

(Lowest Price / Vendor’s Price) x 20 The vendor shall supply its proposed items, costs, and warranty lengths (if greater than 2 years) in the form in Attachment C.

Pricing shall be all-inclusive (including shipping/F.O.B. Destination) for all categories being bid.

To receive an award for an item “category”, the vendor must score a minimum of 58 points from the sum of their score in Section 3.2 and the cost score from the equation above.

4. SECONDARY SELECTION PROCESS

UDOT intends to bridge the gap between "Awarded Vendor" and "Specific Project Purchase" through a secondary selection process. Being awarded a contract does not guarantee a purchase of any amount. When a need for equipment arises, UDOT will select the most appropriate vendor from the multi-award pool based on the following "Best Value" factors:

· Cost: The unit pricing established in Attachment C

· Compatibility: The ability of the equipment to integrate seamlessly with existing site infrastructure

· Suitability for Site Conditions: Specific technical features that make a sensor or component better suited for a unique environment (e.g., high-wind ratings for canyon sites, or climbing-rated towers for high-maintenance locations)

· Lead Time and Availability: The vendor’s ability to deliver equipment within the required project timeline

· Past Performance: The vendor’s history of reliability, shipping accuracy, and warranty support under this contract

Once awarded a contract, UDOT reserves the right to purchase anything from any awarded vendor’s catalog that is outside the item categories AND specifications listed in Section 2.

5. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The vendor must submit document(s) that address everything in Section 3 above:

1. List of equipment that the vendor intends to provide and relevant specifications.

2. Contact information for at least one (1) relevant reference.

3. Responses to the four questions in Section 3.2.

4. Completed “RWIS Item List” (see Attachment C).