A02.05_KO Determination for Brand Name.pdf

CUI

(Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

Brand Name Determination Geokon Piezometers

1. Contracting Activity: The agency making this acquisition is the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL), and the contracting office is located at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199.

2. Description of Action: This determination seeks approval to award a new Firm Fixed

Price (FFP) contract on a brand name basis pursuant to procedures at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.106-1(b) to purchase Weather Stations, Geokon GeoNet Loggers,Vibrating Wire Piezometers with Cables.

3. Description of the product required to meet the agency’s needs: The GSL has a requirement to purchase Weather Stations, Geokon GeoNet Loggers,Vibrating Wire Piezometers with Cables. The contract will consist of a base purchase of the items in Table 1 and an option to purchase the items in Table 2 within one year of the base contract award. Each optional item in Table 2 can be awarded on an item-by-item basis up to the quantity listed.

Table 1. Base Purchase

Component Information/Specifications Qty Geokon Vibrating Wire

Piezometers

Model 4500 Range 700 kPa

Over Range 1.5x rated pressure Resolution 0.025% FS Accuracy +/- 0.1% FS Linearity < 0.5% FS

Temperature Range -20ºC to +80ºC Thermal Zero Shift <0.05% FS/ºC

Diaphragm Displacement <0.001 cm3 at FS Length 133 mm

Diameter 19.1 mm Mass 0.12 kg

PVC Cable, 0.250", 2 twisted pairs Length 105 ft 2 Length 115 ft 2 Length 130 ft 2 Length 150 ft 10 Length 170 ft 10

Geokon 8900 8-Channel Loggers 4

(Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

Table 2. Optional Purchase

Component Information/Specifications Qty Geokon 8900 8-Channel Loggers 5

Geokon 8900 4-Channel Loggers 5

ClimaVUE™50 5

Geokon Model 8600-2 Datalogger 5

Campbell Sci 35544 Cellular Antenna Kit 5

4. Authority Cited: FAR 13.106-1(b), Soliciting from a single source (1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (i) Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).

5. Reason for Authority Cited: In accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold. (i) Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source (e.g. brand name) reasonably available.

Background: The GSL has a requirement to purchase vibrating wire piezometers and associated cables, channel loggers and data loggers for research into the fully grouted method of installing vibrating wire piezometers.

Justification: The specified items on the list are needed to maintain compatibility with existing field deployed equipment. It is imperative that the items purchased be of the name brands that are listed. Purchasing similar equipment manufactured by others would add to training time which would severely impact the project schedule. There are similar transducers produced by other manufacturers, but we must keep the same model and manufacturer to eliminate any variability of a manufacturer change because we are making direct comparisons between the measurements. We need this consistency to ensure that future measurements can be compared with previously recorded measurements. Only these brand-name items will suffice.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Several vendors resell the Geokon products, therefore adequate competition is anticipated.

7. Determination that costs will be fair and reasonable: The independent government estimate, catalog prices, price competition, and the laboratory’s technical representative’s knowledge of the industry will be used to determine if the quoted price is fair and reasonable.

(Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

8. Description of Market Research: Market research has been conducted for this acquisition utilizing historical acquisition information, review of Government and commercial sources for relevant information, and review of other internet sources. The resulting market research found that the products required to meet the Government’s need are commercial items and more than one vendor is capable of providing the items required to meet the Government’s need.

9. Contracting Officer Determination: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Allison Hudson Contracting Officer