80NSSC21Q0043 Limitied Sources Justification_Redacted.pdf

LSJ-2021-003

Rev.:10/2020

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER (NSSC)

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION-SOLE SOURCE

For Abaqus 80NSSC21Q0038

This is a Limited-Sources Justification (LSJ) prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC).

This action is for approval of a Limited-Sources Justification for issuance of a firm-fixed price delivery order to immixTechnology, Inc. for Abaqus finite element software licenses and products. The Langley Research Center (LaRC) Engineering Directorate uses the software application for both modeling and analysis of mechanical components, assemblies and visualizing the finite element analysis result.

It is anticipated that award will be made to immixTechnology, Inc. under General Services

Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) GS-35F-0265X, Special Item Number

(SIN) 511210 Software Licenses.

The total estimated price of the proposed order is and the estimated period of performance is April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022.

Authority Cited and Rationale:

☒ FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(B). Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

Rationale:

The recommendation is made pursuant to FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(B), only one source is capable of providing the services required at the level of quality required because the services are uniquely or highly specialized.

Competition is impractical for the following reasons:

1. Dassault Systèmes is the developer of the proprietary Abaqus suite of finite element software. immixTechnology, Inc. is the sole Value-Added Reseller for Dassault Systemes against GSA Contract GS-35F-0265X per the attached Sole Source Letter dated February

1, 2021.

2. The unique analysis capabilities and features are listed below and further supported by the following technical narrative.

While there are similar software applications that offer some modules that are similar to Abaqus, none of them include the capability of incorporating user routines for element formulation, material models, etc. that are required in the research environment (hence items f-h cited below for Abaqus). There have been attempts for the Government to create foundational software upon which researchers could implement new techniques, such as COMET here at LaRC for finite element analysis, but those have fallen by the wayside since new analysis algorithms (solvers) seem to be implemented in commercial software much faster and more efficiently than in government. COMET is a code that was developed by NASA. Other options do not appear to have the extensive capabilities that Abaqus has, and would also require re-writing all of the currently used in-house routines used with Abaqus, for example progressive failure analysis

(item i below). This has been considered by upper management (branch and directorate level) for

LaRC in-house development, but right now it is not a feasible solution when compared to

Abaqus due to capabilities, requisite resource allocation, and the necessary learning curve.

Implementations of VCCT (virtual crack closure technique) and CZM (cohesive zone modeling)

(items b and c below) do exist in a couple other software applications but are more established in

Abaqus. However, LaRC has been influential in the development of these techniques, and it is the development of future techniques such as these that require the user routines discussed earlier for Abaqus. Therefore, Abaqus software from immixTechnology is the only source capable of providing the required features needed to the engineers at LaRC.

Structural Analysis of General Shells (STAGS) (developed at Lockheed Martin for under LaRC funding) does allow some user routines and VCCT capabilities, but it is currently no longer being updated or actively supported (since the death of one of the main developers, who was maintaining STAGS under his own company that he started after retiring from LM).

Primarily, the reason Abaqus is needed, is the ability to have user routines for elements, materials, damage models, etc. that is the main strength for Abaqus, since it is the only real test bed for researchers to use for such development activities:

a) User-initiated automatic stabilization of nonlinear analyses with artificial viscous damping. No other commercial available finite element software has this capability.

b) VCCT for Abaqus includes the capability to extend a delamination through a single analysis run. No other commercially available finite element software has this capability.

c) Cohesive elements capable of readily modeling progressive delamination and/or debonding for composite materials are not available in another commercially available finite element tool.

d) Explicit and implicit dynamic analysis techniques which allow a choice of appropriate analysis techniques or even a combination of both analysis techniques for different types of simulations and the available interfaces to facilitate ready importation of results between these analyses.

e) Robust nonlinear transient heat transfer capability that includes phase change with a user-defined method to determine solid and liquid fractions coupled to a structural analysis capability that includes temperature-dependent material properties.

f) Capability to access user-written subroutines to include a user-defined material response which use field and state variables to model constitutive behavior using FORTRAN.

g) Capability to access user-written subroutines to include a user-defined finite element formulations to develop new element technology using FORTRAN.

h) Capability to access user-written subroutines to include a user-defined property.

i) Access to legacy input files, output databases, models, user-written subroutines written in

FORTRAN, and Python scripting routines.

Determination by the contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d):

Although GSA-FSS has already determined the prices of supplies under its Multiple Award

Schedule (MAS) contracts to be fair and reasonable, the Contracting Officer will ensure the proposed cost to the Government for the supplies covered by this limited sources memorandum are evaluated for price reasonableness and the proposed order represents the best value to the

Government. The proposed pricing will be compared to the current commercial list price, historical prices and orders, and the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE). A best value determination will be based on a Government technical evaluation and prices consistent with techniques as FAR 15.404-1.

Market Research:

NASA LaRC has completed extensive market research and consideration of other finite element software packages (explained above). In addition, purchasing or developing a different software product would add a substantial duplication of cost, likely in the

, if not more, from: Personnel training for the new product and engineering efforts if

NASA were to develop similar finite model capabilities in-house; and recurring software maintenance, operating and administrative costs. There is also a lack of similar technical solutions available in industry. Overall, it would take substantial duplication of resources and time for another source to provide the required software application, and this additional expense is not expected to be recovered through competition. Abaqus software from immixTechnology is the only source capable of providing the required features needed to the engineers at LaRC per the sole source letter from Dassault Systems. Therefore, it is decided that a limited source acquisition of Abaqus software from immixTechnology is the best interest of the Government.

Other Facts:

Abaqus is the only product LaRC can use without disrupting all other related products and it is the most cost effective solution to the Government.

A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made:

Due to the specialized nature of this requirement, there are no known actions which the Agency may take to give consideration to other manufacturers for the requirements described herein at this time. Therefore, purchase of these requirements to immixTechnology for Abaqus software, is the only practical approach. NASA will continue to examine the market in the future for alternative solutions before executing any subsequent contract action for the requirements herein.

Abaqus 80NSSC21Q0038

LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

SIGNATURE PAGE

I certify that the supporting data presented in this justification are accurate and complete.

Technical Representative

I hereby certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. In addition, I hereby determine that the anticipated price(s)/pricing of the order will be fair and reasonable.

Lead Contracting Officer