Sculpture Conservation

Added: Apr 04, 2017 7:49 am STATEMENT OF WORK

Introduction:
The National Institutes of Health (NIIH) Clinical Center (CC) is America's clinical research hospital and the world's largest hospital dedicated totally to clinical research. Through clinical research, promising discoveries in the laboratory are translated into better health and health care for all. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 active clinical research studies.
The Clinical Center has a fine arts program, established in 1984, with the mission of pairing art with medicine to promote healing in an aesthetically pleasing environment for patients, caregivers and employees. The collection includes paintings, collages, watercolors, textiles, folk art, glass and sculpture.

Background
In 1987 the Louise Nevelson sculpture Sky Horizon was loaned to the NIH. This sculpture is approximately 25 feet high, on an 8'x8' steel base, with an arm making the overall width approximately 12 feet. It is constructed of Corten Steel and painted black. The sculpture is an assemblage of steel beams and a variety of panels welded and bolted together. The sculpture consists of seven major components, the central largest of which is welded to the steel plate base. The base is set into a concrete plaza. There are no visible fasteners, so the method of fastening the base to the foundation is unknown. The arm is set into the plaza on a steel pin.

In 2005 it moved to its current location just north of the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) main entrance and in 2006 it was gifted to NIH. The sculpture has not been maintained since its reinstallation in 2005.

A conservation assessment completed in January 2015 shows soiling typical of its setting in a busy urban area, including accumulated wind-borne dirt, bird feces, insect and bird nests, and biological growth including green algae films and lichens. Several of the perforated panels show broken internal elements. These breaks are minor and do not affect the stability of the sculpture. The paint on the broken edges suggests that the breaks were present before the scrap panels were incorporated into the sculpture. They should be left as is as part of the sculpture's history. The paint is extremely weathered. While it appears grey, when cleaned with mineral spirits or acetone, it saturates black. There are areas of worn visible brush and roller marks that reveal a slightly darker surface below, suggesting that this sculpture may have been partially repainted for the 2005 installation. There are also darker areas in sheltered spots, suggesting the same. There are severely rusted areas on seams, fasteners, and areas of paint failure over 50% of the sculpture. The rust is superficial only and does not affect the structural stability of the sculpture.

Cleaning tests were conducted. Cotton swabs dampened in mineral spirits were wiped on the painted surface. The swab came away with a thick dark material on it. The cleaned area saturated from a matte gray to a matte black color.
A similar test with acetone had the same reaction, though less material was removed from the surface. These tests confirm that the sculpture was painted black and that the paint has completely failed. It is suggestive that the paint used was polyurethane in that it did resist the acetone somewhat, even though extremely weathered.

Scope and Requirements
This contract is for a highly skilled professional conservator experienced in the treatment of large scale, outdoor sculpture to plan, execute, oversee and document the on-site conservation of Sky Horizon.
1. Provide experienced oversight and labor to successfully execute the conservation.
a. The prime contractor must be a professional conservator with a resume demonstrating extensive experience and knowledge of large scale sculpture conservation.
b. The prime contractor shall be shall be completely responsible for the completion of the requirements in their entirety as defined by full scope of the contract.
2. Provide all necessary equipment and consumable materials to complete the conservation.
a. Meet all OSHA safety guidelines.
b. Equipment to include, but not limited to, full painters steel scaffolding (installed and removed) or a boom lift; extension ladders; airless or other sprayers, cables, tarps, etc.
i. Existing landscape planting, surrounding stone wall, paving and grass must be protected during all phases of the conservation.
c. Paint (primers and finish coats) will be the responsibility of the prime contractor. Paint should have excellent aging performance and a life expectancy of 15+ years.
3. Initial evaluation by experienced professional conservator to develop conservation plan and schedule.
4. Clean and prepare the sculpture.
a. Remove all loose and deteriorated paint.
5. Apply epoxy primers and polyurethane finish coat per proposed specifications.
a. Spray apply, with brush and roller detailing.
6. At the completion of the restoration work all excess materials and used tools (such as cleaners, primers, paints, brushes, rollers, tarps, containers, etc.) shall be removed from the NIH campus by the contractor. It is the contractor's responsibility to properly dispose of materials and tools.
7. Document the treatment and recommend future maintenance in an illustrated report.

Location
NIH Clinical Research Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892

The sculpture is located on a triangular island in the middle of busy traffic lanes. NIH will work with the successful vendor to coordinate necessary lane closures, as well as traffic and pedestrian flow to support the execution of this project.

Objectives
1. Restore the sculpture to its original color.
2. Prevent further weathering and deterioration and maintain current structural condition.
3. Develop an ongoing maintenance plan.

Period of Performance
Period of performance will be set at 12 months from date of award in consideration of unexpected weather conditions.

Hours of Operation
All scheduled visits should occur during normal working hours of 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, or as arranged with the COTR. The ten holidays observed by the Federal Government are as follows:
New Year's Day Martin Luther King Day
President's Day Memorial Day
Independence Day Labor Day
Columbus Day Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day
Also, any other day declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday or when the Office of Personnel Management closes the government.

Government Responsibilities
The government is responsible for providing access to the work site; providing information as to all known hazards or hazardous materials which contractor personnel may encounter when working within the necessary environment that contractors may need to visit. Additionally the government will provide:
1. 3-4 car spaces at the nearby taxi stand
2. Access to power, across a roadway, approximately 50 ft. from the sculpture
3. Access to water, across a roadway, approximately 200 ft. from the sculpture
4. Access to public restrooms inside the CRC

Contracting Officer
The Contracting Officer (CO) will be responsible for resolving legal issues, determining contract scope, and interpreting contract terms and conditions. The CO is the sole authority authorized to approve changes in any of the requirements under this contract and, notwithstanding any clause contained elsewhere in this contract, the said authority remains solely with the CO. These changes include, but will not be limited to the following areas: scope of work, price, quantity, technical specifications, and contract terms and conditions.

In the event the contractor effects any change at the direction of any person other than the CO, the change will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract price to cover any increase in charges incurred as a result thereof.

The Contracting officer for this contract is:

Barbara Taylor
Office of Purchasing and Contracts
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 106, MSC 5480
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5480

Contractor's Responsibilities
Independently and not as agent of the Government, the Contractor(s) shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel and equipment needed to perform the Statement of Work.

A site-visit will be mandatory prior to receiving a cost proposal from the offeror.

Notify the CC Space Manager at 301-496-1231 when the contractor(s) plans to visit the CC prior to visit so appropriate coordination can occur.

Deliverables
1. Provide, for government approval, a conservation plan and project schedule within 3 weeks of award.
2. Provide final report documenting the treatment and including a recommendation for ongoing maintenance.

Evaluation Factors
The Government reserves the right to make an award to that Offeror whose quotation provides the best overall value to the Government.

Past Performance and Technical Approach will be combined and scored, and the Government's conclusions about overall quality of the offeror's past performance will be highly influential in determining the relative merits of the offeror's proposal and in selecting the offeror whose proposal is considered most advantageous to the Government.

Offerors with no past performance will be rated "null."

1. Past Performance
a. To include evidence of conservation management efforts of similar large scale, outdoor sculptures.
b. To include evidence in executing the cleaning and painting of similar large scale, outdoor sculptures.
2. Technical Approach
a. Provide a detailed list of all proposed paint/finish materials
b. Provide description of conservation activities, including the number of coats of each product
c. Provide an estimated project timeline
3. Price
a. Provide a fixed price quote in accordance with the Statement of Work identified.
b. Price will also be considered, but not scored.
4. Oral Presentation (Optional)
a. The Government reserves the right to request an oral presentation of the proposal prior to award.

Basis for Award
Award will be made to the offeror whose proposal offers the best value to the Government.

The Technical Proposal will receive paramount consideration in the selection of the Offeror for award. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price.

The Government reserves the right to make the award to the Offeror whose proposal provides the best value to the Government.

Added: Apr 03, 2017 2:12 pm
The National Institutes of Health ("NIH"), Clinical Center is conducting a market survey/sources sought notice to determine whether there is a reasonable expectation of a responsible/capable offeror to perform the work sought in the attached SOW. Accordingly, NIH is hoping that there exists a reasonable expectation of at least two responsible/capable offerors in order for NIH to compete the requirement. Additionally, NIH is attempting to ascertain if there exists a reasonable expectation of at least two responsible/capable small business offerors in order for NIH to compete the requirement as a small business set aside.
Accordingly, NIH is seeking capability statements as to the attached SOW from other-than-small businesses, small businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZONE small businesses, small businesses under the 8(a) program, and/or businesses under the GSA Schedule which can perform on-schedule.
THIS MARKET SURVEY/SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, AND THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT COMMITTED TO AWARD A CONTRACT PURSUANT TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. CONSEQUENTLY, DO NOT SEND A PROPOSAL IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE. THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE IS A CAPABILITY STATEMENT. ALTHOUGH A RESPONDENT CAN RESPOND WITH WHATEVER INFORMATION THE RESPONDENT SEES FIT, THE IDEAL CAPABILITY STATEMENT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE SOW AND THE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION BELOW, AND IS NOT A GENERIC SALES BROCHURE OR MARKETING HANDOUT. FURTHER, THE GOVERNMENT REQUESTS, BUT DOES NOT MANDATE, THAT THE CAPABILITY STATEMENT IS LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN TEN PAGES. ANY PROPRIETARY INFORMATION IN THE SUBMITTED CAPABILITY STATEMENT SHOULD BE CLEARLY MARKED AS SUCH.

The information obtained from this market research is for Government planning purposes only, and will assist the Government in planning its acquisition strategy. This is strictly market research, and the Government is not opening a question and answer period concerning this market research. Further, the Government will not pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of information in response to this market survey.
In addition to addressing the requirements in the attached SOW, the Government requests that your capability statement address the following requests for information, if relevant.
1) Please provide the full company/entity name, address including points of contact (phone number and e-mail address), DUNS numbers, and type/size of the company/entity by NAICS code.
2) If your company/entity is a dealer or service-provider, and not a manufacturer of the end items/products contemplated by the SOW, please identify your company as such and identify the end item/product manufacturers that you would be obtaining goods from in order to perform the contract, and where the manufacturers are geographically located.
3) According to the small business limitations on subcontracting standard provided by the amended Small Business Act at 15 U.S.C. § 657s, the requirement for a small business supplier is that the small business prime contractor "may not expend on subcontractors more than 50 percent of the amount, less the cost of materials, paid to the concern under the contract . . . ." 15 U.S.C. § 657s (a) (2). However, "[c]contract amounts expended by a covered small business concern on a subcontractor that is a similarly situated entity [(i.e., another small/small disadvantaged business of the same type)] shall not be considered subcontracted for purposes of determining whether the covered small business concern has violated [limitations on subcontracting.]" 15 U.S.C. § 657s (b). If you are a small business, please address your ability to adhere to limitations on subcontracting at 15 U.S.C. § 657s. To ascertain if you are a small business, use the size standard provided by NAICS Code 712120 (Museums), with a size standard of no more than $27.5 million.
As part of this, if you are a small business that is a dealer/service-provider and not a manufacturer, please so state, and address whether you meet the following requirements from 13 C.F.R. § 121.406(b). Specifically, your company/entity:
(1) Does not exceed 500 employees (notice that the employee standard under the non-manufacturer rule is restrictive by employees, and NAICS Code 712120 is restrictive by dollars);
(2) Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied;
(3) Takes ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice; and
(4) Will supply the end item of a small business manufacturer, processor, or producer made in the United States.
NIH must receive written capability statements no later than April 18, 2017 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time. E-mail the written capability statement to christopher.lauver@nih.gov.

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Capability Statement - Any potential offeror must demonstrate the following:

The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity, experience and capability in the following areas :

1) Address your ability, experience and capacity to perform conservation on a project similar in size and complexity to that in the attached SOW.

2) Provide the following business information:

a. DUNS
b. Company Name
c. Company Address (including point of contact, phone number and email address)
e. Type/Size of company, NAICS code as validated via the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)

The synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. This is not a solicitation announcement for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. All information submitted in response to this announcement must arrive on or before the closing date.

Responses must be submitted not later than April 18, 2017 via e-mail to the point of contact listed below.

Attn : Christopher Lauver, Contract Specialist
6707 Democracy Blvd
Suite 106
Bethesda, MD 20817
E-mail: christopher.lauver@nih.gov