Instrumentation and Monitoring of PA Bridges

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has issued Request for Proposals (RFP) #3515R08 for a comprehensive bridge instrumentation and monitoring project across multiple Pennsylvania counties, including Allegheny County. The solicitation seeks a qualified offeror to install short and long-term instrumentation on 12 specific bridges to monitor structural performance, capture critical data, and identify bridge degradation at the earliest possible stage. Key deliverables include developing instrumentation plan packages, deploying bridge monitoring systems, conducting live load testing, and providing real-time data transmission of structural responses. Contractors must install fully functional instrumentation systems within six months of the notice to proceed, with specific requirements for sensor types, data collection methods, and reporting protocols. The proposal evaluation will be based on technical approach, understanding of the problem, personnel qualifications, quality control processes, offeror qualifications, and proposed cost. The original proposal due date was November 21, 2016, with an anticipated notice to proceed in February 2017. The contract term is 48 months, with a potential 12-month renewal option, and requires comprehensive reporting, including weekly engineering reports and final analysis documentation.

The RFP includes specific requirements for diverse business (DB) participation, mandating that offerors demonstrate good faith efforts to solicit DB subcontractors within seven calendar days of selection. Contractors must continue these good faith efforts throughout the project and report on DB subcontractor involvement upon completion. While no specific incumbent vendor is mentioned, the document indicates that the selected contractor will need to integrate with PennDOT's existing enterprise information technology standards and infrastructure. The cost submittal indicates that the project is divided into four tasks with estimated costs, including a total of $1,080,000 for maintenance and support services over the four-year period. The contract includes a service level agreement with financial penalties for non-compliance, such as a $500 per day deduction for failing to install and operationalize monitoring systems within the specified six-month timeframe. Notably, the RFP does not specify a specific set-aside percentage for disadvantaged businesses but requires documented efforts to include diverse businesses in the project implementation.