Cone Penetration Testing Equipment

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) issued Request for Proposal No. 190000003128 on September 5, 2019, seeking a comprehensive Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) equipment system for use across Grand Traverse County and multiple Lansing City jurisdictions. The procurement requires a single integrated CPT system comprising three primary components: a CPT Push System capable of mounting to a Bobcat T770 skid steer with 20 tons of push force and 26 tons of retraction force; a CPT Cone System including two 50-meter cables, two 20-ton digital piezocones with tri-axial geophones, dual-axis inclinometers, 80 piezocone filters, 8 tips, and 6 friction sleeves; and a CPT Data Acquisition and Analysis Package with portable, water-resistant hardware compatible with Windows 10 laptops and software capable of acquiring, processing, and plotting CPT data. All system components—push system, cones, and data acquisition system—must be manufactured by a single United States-based vendor. The contractor must deliver the complete equipment within 30 calendar days of order to MDOT's Construction & Technology Building in Lansing, Michigan, provide three days of onsite training at MDOT's Geotechnical Services Office in Lansing with additional sessions at project locations throughout Michigan's lower peninsula, maintain a minimum 12-month warranty on all equipment, and provide technical support for the lifetime of the equipment. Bidders' questions were due by September 13, 2019, with answers posted by September 17, 2019; proposals were due by 3:00 p.m. Eastern on September 18, 2019, and the anticipated contract begin date was upon award of purchase order. The State would award the contract to the responsive and responsible bidder offering the lowest price while meeting all specifications and requirements, with evaluation criteria including qualified disabled veteran (QDV) status, prior State performance, overall economic impact to Michigan including principal place of performance and job creation, and total cost of ownership factors.

Qualified Disabled Veteran (QDV) business entities receive preferential consideration under MCL 18.1261(8) as an evaluation criterion for this procurement. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the solicitation documents, and no existing infrastructure requiring integration was specified. The procurement included no specific set-asides or restrictions limiting responses to particular organization types beyond the requirement that all equipment components be manufactured by a single United States-based vendor. Vendors were required to submit pricing in modifiable Microsoft Word or Excel format including all costs such as one-time charges, shipping, handling, and training, with pricing remaining firm for 90 days from proposal submission and payment to be made via electronic funds transfer. While no specific award value or budget range was disclosed in the solicitation documents, the State indicated that contracts valued at $250,000 or greater would require State Administrative Board approval, suggesting the anticipated contract value may potentially fall within that threshold. Bidders had 180 calendar days from submission to revoke or modify their proposals, and the State reserved the right to conduct on-site facility visits, require oral presentations, perform reference checks, and request additional price concessions during the evaluation process.