Trailer Mounted Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)

The Kansas Department of Transportation is seeking bids for the procurement of one trailer-mounted Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) for the Materials & Research Lab located in Sedgwick County. The FWD equipment must be a current model, new and unused, meeting specifications outlined in ASTM D4694-09 and AASHTO R32-20 standards, with manufacturers demonstrating at least five years of prior assembly, operational, and maintenance experience in the United States. Deliverables include the FWD unit delivered fully operational and properly serviced to 2300 Van Buren, Topeka, Kansas 66611, accompanied by a minimum of three working days of on-site technical training covering equipment operation, vehicle connection, and maintenance procedures. The successful bidder must provide two printed and one digital copy each of shop/maintenance manual, parts manual, and operator manual, plus software on USB drive or CD/DVD, with pricing submitted on an F.O.B. DESTINATION basis including all delivery costs and a separate five-year extended warranty with annual pricing specified for each year. The RFP was posted April 15, 2026, with a closing date of May 19, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time; written questions requesting clarification must be submitted to Procurement Officer Bridget K Martinez at bridget.martinez@ks.gov by close of business on May 8, 2026. Evaluation criteria include cost, proposal adequacy and completeness, bidder's understanding of the project, compliance with RFP terms, experience with similar services, qualified staff, and methodology, though no specific weighted values are assigned. The contract period extends from the date of award through April 30, 2032, and the manufacturer must maintain a full parts inventory and service assistance available in the United States within ten business days of request, with warranty coverage including transportation costs for repairs outside a 150-mile radius of the delivery point.

The State of Kansas offers bidder preference programs for certified businesses, disabled veteran-owned businesses, and state use purchase categories; bidders must submit documentation supporting any applicable bidder preferences along with a current Kansas tax clearance certificate, an Immigration Reform and Control Act certification form, a Boycott of Israel form, and a Sexual Harassment form. The existing JILS trailer-mounted FWD with Serial Number 131 currently serves as infrastructure that bidders may propose a trade-in allowance for, though replacement is the primary objective. Bidders must be officially invited to participate and must request an invitation at least 24 hours prior to the event closing date, with bids submitted electronically to procurement@ks.gov or mailed/hand-delivered by the deadline; faxed bids will not be accepted. Contractors must comply with federal immigration laws, cannot be debarred or in default on previous State contracts, and cannot have substantial conflicts of interest. The State reserves the right to waive minor technicalities and determine equivalency of alternate bids, and any or all bidders may be required to appear before the Procurement Negotiation Committee to explain their proposal and respond to questions. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the solicitation documents; however, the contract includes comprehensive warranty and service requirements that should be factored into proposal pricing.