RFP07-R-00136-LTBP.doc

DTFH61-07-R-00136

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2. CONTRACT NUMBER

3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

DTFH61-07-R-00136

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

FORMCHECKBOX

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED

06/13/2007

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NO.

41-10-07035

7. ISSUED BY

CODE

8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

Federal Highway Administration

Office of Acquisition Management

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Mail Stop: W36-455 Washington, DC 20590 Federal Highway Administration

Office of Acquisition Management

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Mail Stop: W36-455 Washington, DC 20590

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder”

SOLICITATION

9.

Sealed offers in original and 4 copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, at the Visitor’s Center located at _1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Mail Stop: W36-455__ until __4:00 p.m.____ local time ___07/16/2007__________.

CAUTION ( LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

10. FOR

INFORMATION (

CALL:

Robin K. Hobbs

AREA CODE

NUMBER

366-4004

EXT.

Robin.Hobbs@dot.gov

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within _____ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS

20 CALENDAR DAYS

30 CALENDAR DAYS

CALENDAR DAYS

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the

SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):

FACILITY

16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN

AND

OFFER (Type or print)

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE

AREA CODE

NUMBER

EXT.

ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

20. AMOUNT

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

10 U.S.C. 2304(c) ( )

FORMCHECKBOX

41 U.S.C. 253(c)( )

ITEM

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7)

25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

IMPORTANT -- Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97)

Previous edition is unusable Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)53.214(c)

PART I

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 The Contractor shall furnish all necessary facilities, materials, and personnel and shall perform all services required to coordinate and execute the Long-Term Bridge Performance Program, in accordance with Section C below.

B.2 CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBERING (CLIN)

The Government anticipates a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee contract with a 60 month period of performance.

Cost Plus Fixed Fee

Long-Term Bridge Performance Program—to include labor, travel, and material in accordance with Section C.

B.3 All travel shall be authorized in advance by the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR), and shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Travel and Per Diem clause (reference Section G).

B.4 Contract Line Items (CLINs) may be incrementally funded. See Section G for current funds available. In accordance with the Limitation of Funds clause, the contractor is not authorized to incur costs in excess of the amount of funds available, nor exceed the total estimated cost listed under each CLIN.

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C.1 BACKGROUND

Today, with nearly 600,000 highway bridges, including culverts, in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), the operation and functionality of the highway network greatly depends on the performance of these structures. Given the wide range of structure types, material characteristics, age, daily traffic, and climatic conditions, an improved and efficient management of highway bridges presents a challenge of tremendous magnitude that requires extensive knowledge in many areas including improved life cycle cost and performance models, a better understanding of bridge deterioration, and confirmation of the effectiveness of maintenance and repair strategies. However, such developments will require higher-quality quantitative performance data on bridges upon which to base the development of new models and decision-making algorithms. It is anticipated that the FHWA Long-Term Bridge performance (LTBP) program will create such databases by collecting high-quality, quantitative performance data on bridges, which can then be used for improved design, operations and management in the future.

C.2 SCOPE

The FHWA LTBP program is intended to be a 20-year, multi-faceted program, the overall objective of which is to inspect, evaluate, and periodically monitor a representative sample of bridges nationwide in order to collect, document, maintain and manage high-quality quantitative performance data over an extended period of time. This will require taking advantage of sensing technologies and non-destructive evaluation and testing tools in addition to typical bridge inspection approaches. It will also require close collaboration among stakeholders, public agencies, academia, and industry. Although intended to last for at least 20 years, the LTBP program is currently only authorized through the end of fiscal year 2009.

C.3 OBJECTIVE

The overall planning for the LTBP Program must support the FHWA National Strategic Plan for improving the infrastructure and operations of the highway system which promotes safety, productivity, and national security as well as mobility and improving the quality of the natural environment. LTBP planning should also reflect the strategic goals of the State DOTs, respond to the short and long term needs of the various stakeholders, and support the AASHTO Bridge Committee’s recently published Grand Challenges: A Strategic Plan for Bridge Engineering, which details a focused set of critical problems that, when solved, will lead to significant advances in U.S. bridge engineering. The AASHTO Grand Challenges specifically addresses issues related to: (a) extending bridge service life, (b) optimizing structural systems, (c) accelerating bridge construction, (d) advancing the AASHTO specifications, (e) monitoring bridge condition, (f) contributing to national policy, and (g) managing knowledge. Each of these thrust areas in the AASHTO Grand Challenges are directly associated with the longer-term outcomes of the LTBP program and the products that will result both directly from the program and from collateral efforts that use the LTBP Program data and knowledge. To formulate for the overall planning of the LTBP program, consideration must be given to the long-term or expected Data Collection Goals of the program listed below.

C.4 DATA COLLECTION GOALS (Long-Term Goals)

The quantitative database developed under LTBP program will be used to solve a variety of bridge condition assessment and management problems and to develop new tools and advance knowledge of bridge design, maintenance and preservation, including the following:

· Determining how and why bridges deteriorate (i.e., advances in deterioration and predictive models)

· Improved knowledge of bridge performance

· Determining the effectiveness of various maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation strategies, as well as management practices

· Determining the effectiveness of durability strategies for new bridge construction including material selection

· Enabling improvements in bridge management practice using quality, quantitative data

· that can be used to develop improved deterioration models and enhance life-cycle cost analysis

· that can be used in conjunction with decision-making tools and algorithms to support optimal allocation of resources

· that supports improvements to the National Bridge Inspection Standards and other federal bridge policies

· that supports improved performance measures at both the service and extreme event limit states

· that will enable design methods and provisions to be improved

· that supports improved inspection/condition information thru Non-Destructive Evaluation and Testing (NDE/NDT)

· that may result in next-generation of inspection and management standards

C.5 CONTRACT PHASES

The contractor shall conduct the work in two phases for achieving the objectives of the FHWA LTBP program. (See also Section F.3 for dates associated with each task and task deliverable.) The phases are as follows:

1- Developmental Phase

2- Execution Phase

1- Developmental Phase

Task 1.1: Road Map

The contractor shall develop a roadmap that will be keyed to the scope and objectives of the program. This roadmap should identify the range of issues, needs, and desired state-of-practice not just at the end of the LTBP data collection portion of the program, but describe the potential and varying uses to which the database might be put.

The roadmap shall be used to guide the LTBP program over the life of the program, and shall be the basis for many of the early communication and marketing products that will be used to garner support and champions for the program. The roadmap shall identify the specific impact areas that are expected to be addressed over this 20+ year period of time, and shall indicate possible sources of funding for knowledge/tool development.

The contractor shall prepare and submit a written report and provide an oral presentation on the development of the road map. The contractor shall propose an acceptable date for the presentation. In addition to the report, the contractor shall produce a draft, poster-type version of the road map showing all the components in detail for each year.

Task 1.2: Specific Data to be Collected

The contractor shall:

· identify the data elements that are most relevant to support the objectives of the LTBP program including the Data Collection Goals previously delineated

· examine the feasibility and economics of collecting reliable and quantitative data

· evaluate the potential for practical use of this data in evaluation of bridge performance

· recommend data to be collected.

In order to select the data that will be monitored under the LTBP program, it may be necessary for the contractor to:

1. Determine what specific types of data are most relevant to long-term objective of the program from both the structural and the operational sense;

2. Conduct a study to determine what relevant data is available from other sources and how it could be integrated into the LTBP program;

3. Provide a summary of the types of data to be collected, the criteria for choosing that data type, and list them in order of priority;

4. Demonstrate how 1-3 above relate to the Data Collection Goals previously delineated.

The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft report highlighting their approach and provide an oral presentation to the COTR and the advisory committee for approval within 45 days after the contract is awarded. The contractor shall prepare and submit a final report to the COTR within 60 days after COTR approval of the draft report,.

Task 1.3: Development of a Data Infrastructure

The contractor shall develop an appropriate data infrastructure for storing, describing, updating, and accessing multiple data models (for primary data and associated metadata) with appropriate considerations for security. This data infrastructure should be open, extensible, and scalable to meet the goals and objectives of the LTBP program. Due consideration shall be given to future needs of the LTBP program as well as new and upcoming IT Technologies.

The data infrastructure shall be designed and initially populated early in the life of the LTBP program. It is anticipated that design changes might be needed during the life of the program, to accommodate changes in the program, as data is collected and used. The data infrastructure shall be designed to serve both as a robust and comprehensive repository of scientific data and for ease of use and utility to a broad array of potential users. It shall support the implementation of automated data mining tools and standard queries. The data shall be exportable to standard and commonly used databases and spreadsheets.

In addition, an appropriate interface must be developed to accommodate: a) data import and export to support data collection in the field using appropriate devices and web based resources, b) quality control and assurance, c) data analysis and mining in a desktop environment, d) multi-users working in different geographical locations, and e) ease of use by bridge inspectors with qualifications defined in NBI Standards.

The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft report highlighting their methodology and provide an oral presentation to the COTR for approval 45 days after the contract is awarded. Thereafter, upon technical direction from the COTR, the contractor shall prepare and submit a draft report and an oral presentation to the COTR, as needed. Final reports shall be submitted within 45 days after COTR approval of the draft report.

Task 1.4: Protocols for Data Sampling and Collection, and Quality Assurance

The contractor shall develop protocols for data sampling, data collection using inspection techniques and instrumentation, and data quality assurance to carry out these functions. Protocols shall be compatible with the data infrastructure developed for the LTBP program. These protocols should be developed and documented sufficiently so that various contractors or agencies understand and implement the process in the same way. Whenever possible, performance-based protocols rather than prescriptive specifications should be developed. These protocols should be designed to accommodate visual inspection, variety of sensors and associated instrumentation, and nondestructive and destructive test methods.

The contractor shall outline a process that will lead to specification of the quantity, frequency of data collected and inspection frequency; the number and types of instruments required; the physical layout on the bridge; the installation procedures to be followed including calibration of instruments and sensors; the required level of accuracy and the QA/QC procedures to achieve that accuracy, repeatability, robustness, and consistency; and the durability of the instruments in the context of the working environment.

The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft report summarizing their methodology for the development of the protocols and provide an oral presentation 45 days after the contract is awarded. The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft final report to the COTR within 60 days after COTR approval of the draft report, Task 1.5: Bridge Sampling (quantity, type, location, etc)

The contractor shall develop a methodology and rationale for sampling bridges from the NBI database. The sample should recommend the type, numbers, and locations of bridges to be inspected, monitored and evaluated both in the Pilot Study (Task 2.2.2) and for LTBP Program Data Collection (Task 2.3). Culverts, tunnels, and complex (suspension, cable-stay, and movable) bridges shall be excluded from the sample.

The sample of bridges may be selected based on many factors, for example, geographic location (climate and environmental conditions), traffic volume, bridge type, geometry, span length, maintenance practice, security and enforcement, economic impact, substructure, and age. The final sample shall support the objectives of the FHWA LTBP program.

The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft report summarizing their methodology for sampling bridges and provide an oral presentation 45 days after the contract is awarded. The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft final report to the COTR within 60 calendar days after COTR approval of the draft report.

Task 1.6: A Synthesis of Bridge Monitoring and Bridge Autopsy Methods

The contractor shall synthesize past bridge monitoring and bridge autopsy activities of the State Highway Agencies (SHAs) and others from research and industry. This shall include short- and long-term monitoring taking advantage of the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) approach and NDT techniques. In the case of the SHM, this would cover the entire spectrum of activities, including the types of parameters which were measured and investigated, sensor types, interrogation systems, field installation data acquisition/fusion/transfer, interface, and monitoring. Moreover, various SHM systems are currently available, and it will be necessary to establish specifications and to match the measured parameters of interest to the sensor types, systems and structural health monitoring methodologies.

A limited number of forensic autopsies of decommissioned bridges have been performed to gain knowledge of the capacity, reliability, and failure modes of bridges. In some cases, these bridges may have experienced damage by corrosion, overload, alkali-silicate reaction, or fatigue and fracture.

The synthesis shall include information on the benefits realized from the application of SHM for decision making and the knowledge gained from the autopsy efforts. Synthesis of the available information would reveal gaps in data and facilitate streamlining the processes, and will be useful in establishment of uniform procedures and guidelines.

The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft report summarizing their findings 60 days after the contract is awarded. The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft final report within 60 days after COTR approval of the draft report,\.

Task 1.7: Protocols for Bridge Monitoring and Bridge Autopsy

The contractor shall develop protocols and standards for bridge monitoring and for autopsies of decommissioned bridges based on findings of Task 1.6. These protocols should be developed and documented sufficiently so that various contractors or SHAs understand and implement the process in the same way. These protocols should be designed to accommodate monitoring and autopsy approaches, variety of sensors and associated instrumentation, and nondestructive and destructive test methods. The contractor is encouraged to take advantage of existing documents.

The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft report and provide an oral presentation summarizing the methodology for the development of the protocols 30 days after the completion of Task 1.6. The contractor shall prepare and submit a final report to the COTR within 120 days after COTR approval of the draft report.

Task 1.8: A Communication & Marketing Plan and Products

The contractor shall develop an aggressive communication & marketing plan with carefully identified products. This is essential for the initiation, implementation, and successful management of a robust and adequately funded LTBP program. Communication & marketing shall be designed to:

1. Generate continuing support (technical involvement) for the program – in Congress, FHWA, AASHTO, state and local DOTs, academia and/or industry

2. Ensure adequate involvement and input from all stakeholders and ensure that the LTBP program remains responsive to the perceived needs of each group

3. Publicize LTBP program activities and demonstrate successful developments and products

Examples of continuing communication & marketing products would include:

1. Maintenance of LTBP web site which would be widely accessible and continually updated with new content starting with:

a. SAFETEA-LU legislative language

b. LTBP program Organization chart

c. LTBP program papers from FHWA, CIBrE, etc.

d. Description of LTBP program sampling criteria and data to be collected

e. Calendar of activities

f. Recent accomplishments

g. New products

h. Upcoming developments

2. Development, publication, and dissemination of a Periodic Newsletter or Tech Brief with content such as

a. Program overview

b. Recent accomplishments

c. Upcoming events

d. Calendar

e. Feature articles on LTBP program, Lead States, LTBP program protocols, individual bridge monitoring, etc.

3. Development and delivery of Power Point Presentations to explain LTBP program goals, program activities, funding, benefits for various stakeholders, products, outcomes, etc. – need executive version and extended version

4. Presentation of Briefings for congressional committees, staffers, FHWA legislation working groups, foreign visitors, etc.

2 – Execution Phase

Task 2.1: Project Coordination

The Contractor shall make all necessary arrangements with the SHAs for accessing bridges and traffic control prior to inspection, testing, and evaluation of bridges. The Contractor shall maintain a log of all verbal and written communications with the appropriate agencies and shall provide a detailed itinerary to the COTR for approval 14 days prior to any field work.

Task 2.2: Pilot Study

The Contractor shall carry out a Pilot Study to validate protocols for data collection and management, and to ensure that all of the components needed to achieve the long-term objectives of the LTBP program are specified before commencing work on Task 2.3, LTBP Data Collection.

Task 2.2.1: Draft Pilot Study Plan

The contractor shall develop a draft Pilot Study Plan to implement Task 2.2.2. The plan shall, at a minimum, include the technical approach to implementing the pilot study and choice and rationale for bridge inspection equipment and/or monitoring methodology.

The Contractor shall submit the draft Pilot Study Plan within 30 days of the COTR’s acceptance of the final reports for Tasks 1.1 through 1.6. Upon COTR approval of the final reports for Tasks 1.1 through 1.6, the contractor shall finalize and submit the Pilot Study Plan to the COTR within 30 days highlighting the technical approach and coordination efforts with SHAs.

Upon written approval by the COTR of the finalized plan, the Contractor shall execute the Pilot Study delineated under Task 2.2.2 in accordance with the Pilot Study Plan.

Task 2.2.2: Pilot Study Execution

Upon Government approval of the Pilot Study Plan delineated in Task 2.2.1, the contractor shall execute a pilot study in accordance with the approved plan. Execution of pilot experiment will provide the vehicle through which the various contractors and subcontractors can interact, including (a) identifying all the necessary steps and processes that need to be followed by each team, and (b) providing all the necessary information so that the respective development and implementation efforts can proceed in a timely and efficient manner. It will also help to verify protocols for instrumentation and inspection developed in Task 1.4, as well as the architecture for the data infrastructure, including data models, security protocols, and data/metadata to be collected developed in Tasks 1.2 and 1.3.

At the end of this pilot study, the LTBP program will have a working prototype for each aspect of the project that has been verified and can be demonstrated to stakeholders.

Task 2.3: LTBP Program Data Collection

Upon written Government direction, the contractor shall commence collecting data identified in Task 1.2 on sample bridges throughout the United States as specified in Task 1.5 and approved by the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR). The contractor shall incorporate and leverage additional information obtained during Task 2.2.

Neither the contractor nor its employees shall release information obtained during the data collection phase without the express written permission of the COTR. The contractor shall demonstrate and explain any test procedure conducted during the project to the requesting agency on an as needed basis, or as requested basis.

Task 2.4: Technology Transfer

The contractor shall be responsible for the technology transfer portion of the program which includes organizing and conducting conferences, workshops, various committee meetings (i.e., TRB), maintaining websites, publishing and distributing quarterly newsletters, preparing annual reports documenting work done/accomplished, developing marketing plans, briefings, and draft reports for congressional committees, staffers, FHWA legislation working groups, and foreign visitors on how the program is being executed.

The contractor shall also allow for:

· review of progress by critical partners such as AASHTO, industry associations, highway agency bridge personnel and an advisory committee

· periodically analyze the impacts of changing LTBP program funding on program scope, scale, and operations

· coordination of LTBP program activities with other independent programs that could support LTBP program goals

· identification, encouragement, coordination, and integration of independent projects (funded and conducted by others) that will utilize results of the LTBP program to further and/or broaden the LTBP program results; or that will respond to needs identified, but not possible under current LTBP program resources, e.g. development by advanced NDE equipment by University/Industry partnerships.

Task 3.1 Progress Reports

The Contractor shall submit quarterly progress reports (see sample format in Section J). The reports shall be submitted to the COTR and the Contract Administrator by email or other specified means. Each report shall contain concise statements covering the activities relevant to the requirement, including:

(a) A clear and complete account of the work performed on each task during the reporting period.

(b) An outline of the work to be accomplished during the next report period.

(c) A description of any problem encountered or anticipated that will affect the completion of any individual task within the time and fiscal constraints as set forth in the contract, together with recommended solutions to such problems; or, a statement that no problems were encountered.

(d) A tabulation of the planned, actual and cumulative person-hours expended by the personnel identified in each task order.

(e) A chart showing current and cumulative expenditures versus planned expenditures.

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 PACKAGING

Any deliverables required under this contract shall be packaged and marked in accordance with best commercial practices so as to ensure safe and timely delivery to destination.

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 All work hereunder shall be subject to review by the Government. Acceptance of the final reports shall be made in writing by the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative.

E.2 52.246-5 Inspection of Services - Cost-Reimbursement. APR 1984

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.2 PLACE OF DELIVERY

F.2.1 All deliverables under the contract shall be delivered F.O.B. Destination, under transmittal letter, to the following address:

Ship to: Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

6300 Georgetown Pike

McLean, Virginia 22101

Mark for: __________________________________

F.2.2 One (1) copy of the monthly progress report, and other items as specified, shall be delivered to the Contract Specialist at the following address:

Federal Highway Administration

Office of Acquisition Management

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE

Mail Stop: W36-455

Washington, DC 20590

Attn: Robin K. Hobbs

F.3 DELIVERABLES

All dates are “calendar days” unless otherwise indicated.

F.4 52.242-15 Stop-Work Order. (AUG 1989) - Alternate I APR 1984

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 TOTAL FUNDING LINES BY CLIN ASSIGNMENT

CLIN 001

AA

Total Funds Available under CLIN 0001

G.2 LIMITATION OF FUNDS

Paragraph G.1 delineates the amount of funds currently available for payment. The balance of funding under this contract will be obligated subject to availability of funds. Funds will be added by modification to this contract by the Contracting Officer. In accordance with the Limitation of Funds clause in the basic cost reimbursement contract, the contractor is required to notify the Government when 75% of available funds have been expended. The contractor is not authorized to incur costs beyond the available funding which has been obligated under this contract.

G.3 PAYMENT

a. The Contractor may request monthly interim payments for costs incurred during the performance of this contract. A statement of costs incurred by the Contractor in the performance of this contract and claimed to constitute allowable costs shall support each monthly interim payment request. Each monthly interim payment request shall be submitted in accordance with Attachment 2, "The FHWA Billing Instructions for Cost Reimbursement Contracts" to be considered proper for payment. Prior approval of the Contracting Officer is required if the contractor wishes to use a different payment request format.

An original and two copies of the invoice shall be submitted to the Contract Administrator and one copy to the COTR.

b. In accordance with clause 52.232-25, "Prompt Payment", monthly interim payments will be made by the 30th day following receipt of proper request for payment by the designated billing office, unless audit or other review is considered necessary to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract. All interim payments hereunder will be made upon further determination by the Contracting Officer that the contractor is making adequate progress toward successful contract completion.

c. Final invoice payment shall be made upon the Contracting Officer's determination that all contract requirements have been completed. The payment due date for the final invoice shall be established in accordance with the clause 52.232-25.

G.4 INDIRECT COSTS

Pending the establishment of final indirect cost rates which shall be negotiated based on audit of actual costs as provided in Subpart 42.7 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Contractor shall be reimbursed for allowable indirect costs at a rate of ____________.

NOTE: The Government may adjust the rates as appropriate based on Government audit results.

This INDIRECT COST provision does not operate to waive the LIMITATION OF FUNDS Clause. The Contractor's audited final indirect costs are allowable only insofar as they do not cause the contractor to exceed the total estimated costs for performance of the contract listed on page 2 (Section B).

G.5 TRAVEL AND PER DIEM

Travel and Per Diem authorized under this contract shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Government Travel Regulations currently in effect.

Travel requirements under this contract shall be met using the most economical form of transportation available. If economy class transportation is not available, the request for payment voucher must be submitted with justification for use of higher class travel indicating dates, times, and flight numbers. All travel shall be scheduled sufficiently in advance to take advantage of offered discount rates, unless authorized by the CO.

G.6 CONTRACTING OFFICER'S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COTR)

The Contracting Officer has designated (to be filled in at time of award) as Technical Representative (COTR) to assist in monitoring the work under this contract. The COTR is responsible for the technical administration of the contract and technical liaison with the Contractor. The COTR IS NOT authorized to change the scope of work or specifications as stated in the contract, to make any commitments or otherwise obligate the Government or authorize any changes which affect the contract price, delivery schedule, period of performance or other terms or conditions.

The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit or obligate the Government for the expenditure of public funds. The technical administration of this contract shall not be construed to authorize the revision of the terms and conditions of this contract. The Contracting Officer shall authorize any such revision in writing.

1252.242-73 Contracting Officer's Technical Representative. (OCT 1994)

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 TECHNICAL DIRECTIVES (TD)

The contractor shall be responsible to accomplish all tasks related to the Government's requirements delineated in Section C of the contract. During the course of performance, the COTR may issue specific TDs. Such directives shall be issued for the purpose of providing technical direction and guidance to the contractor within the overall scope of the contract. The COTR shall submit such directives to the designated contractor representative (project/program manager) via e-mail. The contractor shall respond with a rough order of magnitude technical and cost estimate (ROM). The ROM shall include a description of the technical approach (if applicable), and may additionally include (when applicable) labor categories, number of hours, rates, travel, and material. Further detail than that described herein may be requested by the COTR. Upon written approval by the COTR, the contractor may proceed with performance based on the ROM.

No TD issued by the COTR shall constitute a change to the terms and conditions of the contract. In accordance with FAR clause 52.243-7 Notification of Changes, the contractor is required to promptly notify the Contracting Officer if it feels that a TD has altered any of the terms and conditions of the contract.

H.2 KEY PERSONNEL

1252.237-73 KEY PERSONNEL (MAY 2005)

(a) The personnel as specified below are considered essential to the work being performed under this contract and may, with the consent of the contracting parties, be changed from time to time during the course of the contract by adding or deleting personnel, as appropriate.

(b) Before removing, replacing, or diverting any of the specified individuals, the contractor shall notify the contracting officer, in writing, before the change becomes effective. The contractor shall submit information to support the proposed action to enable the Contracting Officer to evaluate the potential impact of the change on the contract. The contractor shall not remove or replace personnel under this contract until the Contracting Officer acknowledges the change in writing.

The Key Personnel under this Contract are:

(Specify key personnel)

H.3

SPECIFICATIONS FOR REPORTS

Research reports shall be prepared in accordance with Publications and Printing Handbook (H 1710.4) and TFHRC Communications Reference Guide (FHWA-RD-03-074). As an aid to the organizations and individuals producing contract deliverables to TFHRC, online versions of standard publication materials are located at the website, http://www.tfhrc.gov/qkref/qrgmain.htm and are available for review and downloading.

All research reports shall provide units of measurement with the metric value first, followed by the inch-pound value in parenthesis. The American Society for Testing and Materials publication, Standard Practice for Use of the SI International System of Units: The Modernized Metric System ASTM E380-89a or later, shall be followed.

Electronic text files should be created in either Microsoft Word 2000 or above. Graphics should be created as separate elements and imported into the text file for print reports. All fonts used in the document must be supplied on the disk so the document will print as it appeared on the contractor’s equipment. The use of 1 of the standard 35 fonts that are provided with most printers is recommended.

Files shall be included in the programs of origin, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Corel Presentations, etc., so these files can be modified or corrected and re-imported into the full text document. Art must be produced in a program that can export an interchange file format that can be imported into the full text. Photos shall be in TIF or EPS with on-screen preview and with line screen appropriate for printing. Files should be provided in a manageable size of 3 MB or less.

It is becoming common practice to provide final reports on the Internet. As a general guide, if the report is to be included in the Internet (to be determined by the COTR) the current basic HTML coding requirements are provided below. These requirements are however subject to change with the rapid change in technology.

*HTML 3.2 standards. *Capability of viewing the finished product in both Microsoft IE 3.0 and Netscape Navigator. *Java Script and CGI-BIN scripting are acceptable, Java and Active are not. *Frames and colored table cells are acceptable.

*The document must include on the opening page, the DOT triskelion and the following phrases: “US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center.” *The opening page also needs to include the document number (FHWA-RD-98-xxx) and author’s name.

Each document should be supported by meta-text, describing any unique features, editing, and any other pertinent information in the following format:

<meta name=”author” content=”author name”>

<meta name="authoring.tool” content=”HotDog”>#n

<meta name=”description” content=”A glossary of acronyms, abbreviations, and terms relative to the highway and transportation industry.”>

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*The document should support any already established branding done following current graphic design and style so that we retain consistency throughout all R&D coded products. The TFHRC web manager should be consulted when there is any question regarding design or style.

*CGI and java-scripting must be tested and approved before public use.

*Server-side scripting is not an option.*Color codes should be hexadecimal, not word codes. These tags should be used: <b> not <strong>, <I> not <em>, and <u> not (underlining). End paragraph tags </p> are not necessary. Animated graphics should not loop endlessly.

Extensive use of mathematical equations will be required. These equations will have to be created graphically and coded into the file. *Extensive use of tables for statistical data will be required. They will have to be appropriately coded. The TFHRC web manager should be consulted when there is any question regarding design or style.

All html files should have the htm extension, not html. All directories and folders must have 8 letters or less file names. The TFHRC web site is served from a standard UNIX server; please keep that in mind.

H.4

SECTION 508 STANDARDS

The following applies to all FHWA Contracts issued on or after June 25, 2001, for Preparation of Technical reports or other documents that FHWA plans to post on a website.

In addition to the work requirements specified in this statement of work, vendors must ensure that all electronic documents that they prepare will meet the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The act requires that all electronic products prepared for the Federal Government be accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, cognitive, and mobility impairments. Vendors can view Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm) and the Federal IT Accessibility Initiative (Home Page) (http://section508.gov/) for detailed information.

Applicable Standards

The following standards have been determined to be applicable to this contract:

_______1194.21 Software applications and operating systems.

____X_1194.22 Web-based intranet and Internet information and applications.

_______1194.23 Telecommunications products.

_______1194.24 Video and multimedia products.

_______1194.25 Self contained, closed products.

_______1194.26 Desktop and portable computers.

The standards do not require the installation of specific accessibility-related software or the attachment of an assistive technology device, but merely require that the EIT be compatible with such software and devices so that it can be made accessible, if so required by the agency, in the future. The following paragraphs summarize the requirements for preparing FHWA reports in conformance with Section 508 for eventual posting by FHWA to an FHWA-sponsored website. If you have further questions, please contact the FHWA contracting officers technical representatives listed in this statement of work.

Electronic documents with images

Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element in all publications prepared in electronic format. Use descriptions (such as, "alt" and "longdesc") for all non-text images or place them in element content. For all documents prepared, vendors must prepare one standard HTML format (as described in this statement of work) AND one text format that includes descriptions for all non-text images. “Text equivalent” means text sufficient to reasonably describe the image. For example, an image that is merely decorative requires only a very brief “text equivalent” description. However, if the image conveys information that is important to the content of the report, then text sufficient to reasonably describe that image and its purpose within the context of the report must be provided.

Electronic documents with complex charts or data tables When preparing tables that are heavily designed, provide adequate alternate information so that assistive technologies can read them out. Identify row and column headers for data tables. Provide the information in a non-linear form. Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers.

Electronic documents with forms When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.

Applicability of Section 508 to Course Presentations

The contractor shall conduct the presentation using the Section 508-compliant curriculum material developed and approved for this course. The Government is responsible to notify the contractor in advance of any special needs and accommodations of any disabled participants. However, at this time it is not known whether any participants will be disabled. Therefore, when contacting the host agency to determine the local conditions, the contractor shall ask whether any disabled people are among the course participants. If so, the contractor shall promptly notify the COTR so that FHWA or the hosting agency can provide for their reasonable accommodation (for example, a sign language interpreter), and the contractor shall conduct the presentation in a manner supportive of those accommodations.

Each Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) product or service furnished under this contract shall comply with the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (36 CFR 1194), as specified in the contract as a minimum. If the Contracting Officer determines any furnished product or service does not comply with the contract, you will be so notified in writing, and prompt corrective action shall be taken in accordance with the Inspection clause of the base contract.

H.5

UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

To the extent that the work under this contract requires access to proprietary, business confidential, or financial data of other companies, and as long as such data remains proprietary or confidential, the Contractor shall protect such data from unauthorized use and disclosure and agrees not to use it to compete against such companies.

H.6

POST AWARD EVALUATION OF CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE

Electronic Access to Contractor Performance Evaluations

FAR 42.15 requires agencies to prepare interim and final evaluations of contractor performance. The U.S. Department of Transportation utilizes the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Contractor Performance System (CPS) to record and maintain past performance information.

Contractors that have Internet capability may access evaluations through a secure Web site for review and comment by completing the registration form that can be obtained at the following URL: https://cpscontractor.nih.gov.

The registration process requires the contractor to identify an individual that will serve as a primary contact and who will be required to identify a secondary contact who will be responsible for notifying the cognizant contracting official in the event the primary contact is unavailable to process the evaluation within the required 30-day period. Once the contractor is registered and a performance evaluation has been prepared and is ready for comment, the CPS will send an email to the contractor representative notifying them that a performance evaluation is electronically available for review and comment.

H.7 1252.239-70 Security requirements for unclassified information technology resources. APR 2005

(a) The Contractor shall be responsible for Information Technology security for all systems connected to a Department of Transportation (DOT) network or operated by the Contractor for DOT, regardless of location. This clause is applicable to all or any part of the contract that includes information technology resources or services in which the Contractor has physical or electronic access to DOT's sensitive information that directly supports the mission of DOT. The term "information technology," as used in this clause, means any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, including telecommunications equipment that is used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. This includes both major applications and general support systems as defined by OMB Circular A-130. Examples of tasks that require security provisions include:

(1) Hosting of DOT e-Government sites or other IT operations;

(2) Acquisition, transmission or analysis of data owned by DOT with significant replacement cost should the contractor's copy be corrupted; and

(3) Access to DOT general support systems/major applications at a level beyond that granted the general public, e.g. bypassing a firewall.

(b) The Contractor shall develop, provide, implement, and maintain an IT Security Plan. This plan shall describe the processes and procedures that will be followed to ensure appropriate security of IT resources that are developed, processed, or used under this contract. The plan shall describe those parts of the contract to which this clause applies. The Contractor's IT Security Plan shall comply with applicable Federal Laws that include, but are not limited to, 40 U.S.C. 11331, the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002 and the E-Government Act of 2002.