Building 20 Atrium Leak Mitigation

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service seeks inspection and testing of Building 20's atrium system at the USDA National Centers for Animal Health in Ames, Iowa, with quotations due September 25, 2026. This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS 238160 with a $19 million size standard, issued as an RFQ for commercial items under FAR Part 12; no separate written solicitation will follow.

Place of performance is Ames, Iowa (1920 Dayton Avenue). The contractor must provide 100 percent coverage water spray testing of the East/West and North/South atrium systems, including all glass panels, flashings, structural attachments, fasteners, and adjacent wall panel systems to identify water leak sources. The final report, due within 10 days of completion, must include photographs documenting system conditions, all identified deficiencies and leaks with testing methodologies, recommended repairs with multiple approaches and descriptions, cost estimates using contractor unit pricing or RSMeans 2026 rates broken to granular unit levels, and repairs prioritized by location and urgency. Key personnel must demonstrate minimum five years' experience with commercial building atrium leak investigations; the job superintendent must hold OSHA 30-hour competent person certification and all workers must hold minimum 10-hour OSHA training.

The contractor begins work within 10 calendar days of Notice to Proceed and completes all work within 90 calendar days, with an overall 180-day contract timeframe including final report submission and closeout. Work is performed Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, excluding federal holidays. Water spray testing requires minimum 40-degree Fahrenheit temperatures and suitable weather conditions; contractors may defer testing to spring 2027 if necessary. Site access is restricted and requires USDA-provided escorts at all times. Contractors must comply with a 20-pounds-per-square-foot live load limit on roofs, prohibition of gasoline/petroleum combustion indoors, and a maximum 250-pound load rating per skylight bay. All contractor personnel must hold government-issued picture identification (REAL ID); foreign nationals require advance registration.

Evaluation criteria include technical approach and work plan (10 pages maximum), key personnel qualifications (3 pages maximum), performance schedule using CPM or Gantt chart format (3 pages maximum), and pricing fairness and reasonableness, supported by three references for similar projects completed within the past three years. Award goes to the highest technically rated offeror with fair and reasonable pricing and acceptable or neutral past performance. The Government expects award without discussions but reserves the right to conduct discussions if necessary. Performance and payment bonds are required within 10 calendar days of award. Prevailing wage rates apply under the Davis-Bacon Act for Iowa (Story County), with rates effective through December 31, 2026. A mandatory site visit is scheduled for September 15, 2026, at 10:30 CST, though attendance is not mandatory for quotation submission. Quotations are submitted via email to blaine.greenwalt@usda.gov as separate PDF documents: completed signed SF 1442, price proposal, and technical proposal.