Maintenance Dredging of the Cheesequake Creek, New Jersey, Federal Navigation Project

MARKET SURVEY

Background Information

The New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) proposes to perform maintenance dredging of Cheesequake Creek, New Jersey, Federal Navigation Project to a depth of -5 feet Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) plus 2 foot over-depth.  The dredged material would be processed and subsequently transported to and placed, at a suitable, state permitted upland placement site(s).  The proposed maintenance dredging would remove approximately 9,000 cubic yards (CY) of critical shoals from Cheesequake Creek.  The dredged material is expected to consist of greater than 98% gravel and sand. 

Due to possible restrictions in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Water Quality Certificate, the proposed work may be required to only be performed by utilizing a mechanical dredge with a closed clamshell environmental bucket. Additionally, multiple scows and tug boats will be needed to perform the work during the dredging, dewatering and unloading operations.  The dredged material would be required to meet all federal, state, and approved local criteria required by the government agencies having jurisdiction where the dredging and placement sites are located. 

The apparent low bidder shall, within 35 calendar days from the date the apparent low bidder is notified of being such, provide copies of all required permits and approvals for transfer. Transportation, dewatering, and/or processing, and final placement of the dredged material, and shall submit evidence of such permits and approvals to the government.

Once the contract is awarded, the contractor will be required to commence work within five (5) calendar days after the date of receipt by him of the notice to proceed and maintain an integrated production rate of at least 1,500 cubic yards per calendar day for the dredging, transfer, transportation, dewatering and/or other processing, and final placement of the material.  The presence of dredging equipment in the channel will impact vessel traffic and it is necessary to maintain this production rate while minimizing the duration of this impact.

The proposed work is anticipated to take place in July, August, September, or October 2020.  The work is estimated to cost between $1,000,000.00 and $4,000,000.00.

SURVEY OF THE DREDGING INDUSTRY

The following confidential survey questionnaire is designed to apprise the Corps of prospective dredging contractors’ project execution capabilities. Please provide your response to the following questions. All questions are in regard to the Cheesequake Creek maintenance dredging project.

1. Have you ever worked on dredging jobs similar in nature to this project? If so, please describe the project and for whom the work was performed. Identify a point of contact and phone number, if possible.
2. What percentage of work (volume of material dredged, transported, and ultimately placed) can you perform with your own equipment or equipment owned by another small dredging contractor?
3. Have you performed dredging within the waters of New Jersey? If not, where have you performed dredging?
4. Would you be willing to bid on the project previously described? If the answer is No, please explain why not?
5. Would you be bidding on this project as a sole contractor, prime contractor with subcontractor(s) or as a joint venture?
6. Is there a dollar limit on the size contract that you would bid? If so, what is that limit?
7. What is the largest dredging contract, in dollars, on which you were the prime contractor?
8. What is your bonding capacity per contract? What is your total bonding capacity?
9. Are you a small business, if so, please list under what specific socioeconomic categories?
10. What type of dredge equipment do you own and / or operate that is suitable for the work described?  Do you own a closed clamshell environmental bucket?  Please list each piece of equipment capable of performing each type of work described, i.e. dredging, transfer, transportation and final upland placement of the material.  For each dredge that you list, please specify its bucket size(s), and any other salient characteristics.
11. Identify which dredge(s), including support equipment (tug, crew boat, scows, etc), you would employ on this project. Also, for each dredge, identify the maximum dredging depth. 
12. Do you own material scows? If so, how many do you have available for use? Please list the name of the scow, its type and the capacity.
13. Do you have experience with the use of an automated Dredged Material Monitoring System (Black Box/Silent Inspector) or employing a Dredged Material Inspector (DMI)?                               
14. Do you have experience with the placement of dredged material at upland placement sites?
15. Please list any historic projects involving dredging of non-HARS material. Also list the processing and placement sites used to place the material.