NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Retention of Engineering Firms
[27 Pa.B. 2785]
Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence Counties
Project Reference No. 08430AG2079 The Department of Transportation will retain an engineering firm to perform routine NBIS bridge inspections for 17 fracture critical State-owned bridges in Engineering District 11-0, that is Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence Counties. These bridges include 14 Steel (2 or 3 girder), 2 Tied Arch and 1 Arch Truss Structures. The structure lengths range from 369 feet to 4,544 feet.
The selected firm will be required to provide two NBIS inspections and two FCM inspections for each bridge over a 4 year period. The firm will provide updated inspection reports and recommend if load rating analyses are necessary, as directed by the Department. The report will include an inspection summary, field inspection Form D-450F, updated BMS coding sheets and recommendations.
The Department will select one firm for the purpose of negotiating an engineering agreement based on the Department's evaluation of the acceptable letters of interest received in response to this solicitation. The selection will be established directly from the letters of interest. Technical proposals will not be required.
The following factors, listed in order of importance, will be considered by the Department during the evaluation of the firms submitting letters of interest:
a. Specialized technical expertise and experience of the individuals committed to this assignment. In addition, the firm should discuss its abilities to recommend fracture critical retrofit schemes.
b. Number of certified inspectors and inspection teams available for this assignment and the location of the office from which the employes will be working. A minimum of two teams will be necessary for this Agreement.
c. Capabilities of the proposed teams to address the bridge inspection, engineering evaluations and recommendations and related aspects identified in the advertisement.
d. Prior technical successes and timeliness in performing bridge inspection work with the Department.
e. Internal procedures for cost containment and quality assurance.
f. Current bridge inspection workload.
g. Location of firm.
h. Overall presentation of the firm's letter of interest.
Address these items and any necessary further details in a brief yet comprehensive manner in the letter of interest.
The second copy of the letter of interest and required forms (see general requirements and information section) shall be sent to Henry M. Nutbrown, District 11-0, 45 Thoms Run Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017-2853.
Technical questions concerning the requirements for this project should be directed to Lou Ruzzi, District 11-0, at (412) 429-4897.
Questions concerning the submittal of the letter of interest can be directed to the Consultant Agreement Division at (717) 783-9309.
General Requirements and Information Firms interested in providing the above work and services are invited to submit two copies of a letter of interest and required information for each Project Reference Number for which the applicant wishes to be considered.
The first copy of the letter of interest and required information must be submitted to Charles W. Allwein, P.E., Chief, Consultant Agreement Division, 7th Floor, Forum Place, 555 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101-1900.
The letter of interest and required information must be received within 13 calendar days of this notice. The deadline for receipt of a letter of interest at the above address is 4:30 p.m. prevailing time of the thirteenth day.
The second copy of the letter of interest and required information must be submitted to the appropriate District Engineer/Administrator or the Bureau Director as indicated in the individual advertisement. This copy must be postmarked or delivered on or before the deadline indicated above.
If an individual, firm or corporation not authorized to engage in the practice of engineering desires to submit a letter of interest, said individual, firm or corporation may do so as part of a Joint Venture with an individual, firm or corporation which is permitted under the State law to engage in the practice of engineering.
If a Joint Venture responds to a project advertisement, the Department of Transportation will not accept separate letters of interest from the Joint Venture constituents. A firm will not be permitted to submit on more than one Joint Venture for the same Project Reference Number. Also a firm that responds to a project as a prime may not be included as a designated subcontractor to another firm that responds as a prime to the project. Multiple responses under any of the foregoing situations will cause the rejection of all responses of the firm or firms involved. The above does not preclude a firm from being set forth as a designated subcontractor to more than one prime responding to the project advertisement.
If a goal for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation is established for an advertised project, firms expressing interest in the project must agree to ensure that Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms as defined in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and currently certified by the Department of Transportation, shall have the maximum opportunity to participate in any subcontracting or furnishing supplies or services approved under Form 442, Section 1.10(a). The act requires that firms owned and controlled by women (WBEs) be included, as a presumptive group, within the definition of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). The goal for DBE participation shall be as stated in the individual project advertisement. Responding firms shall make good faith efforts to meet the DBE goal using DBEs (as they were defined prior to the act), WBEs or combinations thereof.
Proposing DBE firms must be certified at the time of submission of the letter of interest. If the selected firm fails to meet the established DBE participation goal, it shall be required to demonstrate its good faith efforts to attain the goal.
Responses are encouraged by small firms, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms, and other firms who have not previously performed work for the Department of Transportation.
Each letter of interest must include the following information, and the information must be packaged and presented in the following order:
1. Transmittal Letter (maximum of two typed pages, one side)
The subject heading of the transmittal letter must include the project reference number for which the applicant wishes to be considered, the firm's legal name, fictitious name (if applicable) and the firm's Federal identification number. If the project advertisement indicated the Department will retain an engineering firm for the project, the applicant must indicate in the body of their transmittal letter the names and Professional Engineer License Number of individuals who are directing heads or employes of the firm who have responsible charge of the firm's engineering activities, and whose names and seals shall be stamped on all plans, specifications, plats and reports issued by the firm.
2. Project Organization Chart (one page, one side)
This chart should show key staff from the prime and each subconsultant and their area of responsibility.
3. Standard Form 255, ''Architect-Engineer and Related Services Questionnaire for Specific Project'' (one Form 255 for the project team)
The Standard Form 255 must be signed, dated and filled out in its entirety, including Item No. 6 listing the proposed subconsultants and the type of work or service they will perform on the project. Under Item 4 of this form, Column A should include the number of subconsultant personnel and Column B should include the number of prime consultant personnel to be assigned to work on this project reference number.
If a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal is specified for the project, the DBE must be currently certified by the Department of Transportation, and the name of the DBE and the work to be performed must be indicated in Item No. 6. If a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) firm is substituted for the DBE, the WBE firm must also be presently certified by the Department of Transportation and indicated in Item 6.
4. Standard Form 254, ''Architect-Engineer for Related Services Questionnaire''
A Standard Form 254, not more than 1 year old as of the date of this advertisement, must accompany each letter of interest for the firm, each party to a Joint Venture, and for each subconsultant the firm or Joint Venture is proposing to use for the performance of professional services regardless of whether the subconsultant is an individual, a college professor or a company, unless an acceptable Standard Form 254 for the prime and each subconsultant/subcontractor is on file in both the Bureau of Design and the Engineering District Office or Central Office Bureau identified in the individual project advertisement.
If the Standard Form 254 is not submitted with the letter of interest, the transmittal letter shall indicate the dates that the Standard Forms 254 were submitted to the Bureau of Design and appropriate Engineering District/Central Office Bureau.
These forms shall be assembled with the prime's first, followed by the subconsultant's in the same order as they appear in Item 6 of Form 255.
5. Workload Projection Graph (not required for Construction Inspection Services)
A Workload Projection Graph for the prime and each subconsultant should indicate the firm's current and anticipated workload compared to the anticipated capacity available for the next 2-year time frame. The Workload Projection Graph should be submitted for the offices where the work would be performed and should only include the personnel classifications required for providing the advertised services and work.
6. Authorization Letters (if required)
If the advertisement requires a letter signed by individuals giving their approval to use their names in the letter of interest, the letters from proposed prime employes should be first, followed by subconsultant employes, in the same order as shown in Item 6 of Form 255.
7. Registration To Do Business
Firms with out-of-State headquarters or corporations not incorporated in Pennsylvania must include, with each letter of interest, a copy of their registration to do business in the Commonwealth as provided by the Department of State. Firms who are not registered to do business in Pennsylvania at the time of this advertisement must document that they have applied for registration to the Department of State, Corporation Bureau. The telephone number for the Corporation Bureau is (717) 787-1057 or (717) 787-2004.
8. Overhead Rates (one page)
This page must show the latest audited overhead rate developed in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) for the prime consultant and each subconsultant. If a FAR rate is not available, the latest rate available from a Certified Public Account must be indicated. New firms should indicate how long the firm has been in existence and when an audited overhead rate would be available.
9. Additional Information
Additional information, not to exceed ten one sided pages or five double sided pages may be included at the discretion of the submitting firm.
The assignment of the agreement/contract for the above advertisements will be made to one of the firms who submitted an acceptable letter of interest in response to the project advertisement. The assignment will be made based on the Department's evaluation of the firm's qualification and capabilities. The Department reserves the right to reject all letters submitted, to cancel the solicitations requested under this notice and/or to readvertise solicitation for the work and services.
BRADLEY L. MALLORY,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 97-915. Filed for public inspection June 6, 1997, 9:00 a.m.]
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