Sources Sought-Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) testing- Steel-Backed Timber Roadway Barrier
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 693JJ3-26-SS-0019
- Agency
-
Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 541380 Testing Laboratories and Services
- PSC
- AS12 Transportation R&D Services; Surface Transportation, Public Transit, And Rail; Applied Research
- Place of performance
- Washington, District of Columbia 20590, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Federal Highway Administration is conducting market research to identify qualified contractors for anticipated crash testing services on steel-backed timber roadway safety hardware, with responses due August 31, 2026. This is a sources-sought notice, not a solicitation; responses are not offers and will not be reimbursed.
FHWA seeks contractors to test three safety hardware devices—SBT Type A guardrail, TL-2 end terminal, and TL-3 transition—currently used on off-National Highway System roads managed by Federal Land Management Agencies, counties, cities, and Tribal Nations. Testing will transition from NCHRP Report 350 to AASHTO 2016 MASH (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware) criteria.
Respondents must demonstrate ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation and verifiable experience completing MASH09 or MASH16 crash testing within the past five years. The contractor team must include at least one individual with current MASH testing experience. Capability statements must also document experience with finite element analysis for guardrails, end terminals and transitions, and past experience meeting Federal Lands Managed Agencies aesthetics requirements, particularly National Park Service standards for steel-backed timber applications.
The anticipated project period is 30 months. Deliverables include testing plans, interim reports with finite element analysis results and design recommendations, crash test videos, design CADD drawings in MicroStation and PDF formats, and a final report evaluating compliance with all MASH criteria. Bi-monthly progress reports are required.
Respondents must provide company name, address, points of contact, SAM.gov UEI, CAGE Code, NAICS code 541380 size classification, GSA Schedule number if applicable, and applicable business classifications. NAICS code is 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services); PSC is AS12 (Transportation R&D Services).
Questions are limited to four per respondent, due by August 24, 2026, to myla.wyatt@dot.gov. Responses must be submitted electronically in searchable format and are limited to seven pages, single-spaced, 11-point or larger font in Times New Roman or Arial.
Notice text
Potential Sources Sought. This is NOT a solicitation for quotes/submissions/proposals. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is conducting market research to identify potential sources for an anticipated requirement. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information, for planning purposes, regarding (1) the availability and capability of qualified sources to perform all or some of the work described below; and (2) the size classification of the available and capable sources relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition.
This notice does not solicit quotations/proposals. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Additionally, the FHWA will not provide reimbursement for any information that may be submitted in response to this RFI/SS notice. Companies/Firms/Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI/SS notice. Responding to this RFI/SS notice will neither increase nor decrease the likelihood of being awarded any contract in the future by FHWA for the requisite services.
Pursuant to 48 C.F.R., Part 10, the Government is conducting market research to:
- Determine what sources exist that can satisfy the Government’s requirements listed below,
- Determine the capabilities of potential sources,
- Determine the size and status of potential sources, and
- Determine the level of competition (i.e. 8(a), set-aside, or full and open).
The results of this RFI/SS notice will assist in identifying potential quoters having an interest in, and the resources to accomplish the work and contribute to determining the method of procurement.
The FHWA is seeking a qualified Contractor that demonstrates the capabilities, experience, and resources required to perform crash testing on safety hardware devices. FHWA is transitioning to the latest crash test criteria for road safety hardware. This means transitioning from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features to the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) methods. The goal of this effort is to make off- National Highway System (NHS) roads and highways as safe as possible, in part by accelerating the move to newer crash test criteria for Steel-Backed Timber roadway safety hardware devices.
This project proposes to follow AASHTO 2016 MASH to crash test and document a Steel-Backed Timber roadway barrier, transition, and terminal common to the off- NHS system. This MASH testing will provide additional crashworthy alternative systems for local, federal, and tribal agencies and decrease occupant risk if they impact a device that meets current crash test standards. Upon completion of successful crash testing of the three safety hardware devices the FHWA will share the MASH test results and the standard details with the transportation community.
NOTE: Please review attached detailed RFI/SS notice which includes instructions on how to submit questions and capability statements and each respective deadline.
PLEASE do not post, upload, or submit questions or capability statements in response to this notice on
SAM.gov. Questions and responses posted or submitted via SAM.gov may not be answered or considered.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| MASH_SBT_RFI SSN cover page _ 8_20_2026.pdf | ||
| MASH _SBT_testing_draft SOW_8-20-26_SSN.pdf |
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