2009 Bridge Inspections

Dear Consultant:

The Iowa Department of Transportation is contacting firms prequalified in Category 325 (Bridge Inspection and Analysis) to determine their interest in providing bridge inspection services.

Four consultants will be selected to inspect a total of six bridges. The first selection (Selection A) includes inspection of the Iowa 9 (Lansing) Bridge over the Mississippi River in Allamakee County and the Iowa 136 (North Clinton) Bridge over the Mississippi River in Clinton County. The second selection (Selection B) will include inspection of the US 20 (Julien Dubuque) Bridge over the Mississippi River in Dubuque County. The third selection (Selection C) will include inspection of the US 34 (Burlington) Bridge over the Mississippi River in Des Moines County. The US 34 Bridge inspection includes a survey of the deck profile and opening stay cable anchorages to inspect the interior condition. The fourth selection (Selection D) will include inspection of the I-129 Bridge over the Missouri River in Woodbury County and Iowa 92 (Muscatine) Bridge over the Mississippi River in Muscatine County.

The inspection of the US 34 Bridge will be from the far side of Pier #8 thru the far abutment (Spans #9 thru #18). The inspection of the remaining bridges will be from abutment to abutment.

A description of the bridges is as follows:

Selection A

Iowa 9 (Lansing) Bridge over the Mississippi River, FHWA No. 13520 – 21’ x 1630’ steel high truss bridge, 652’ main span, constructed 1931.

Iowa 136 (North Clinton) Bridge over the Mississippi River, FHWA No. 21055 – 25’ x 3011’ steel high truss bridge, 500’ main span, constructed 1974.

Selection B

US 20 (Julien Dubuque) Bridge over the Mississippi River, FHWA No. 23880 – 28’ x 5760’ steel tied arch bridge, 845’ main span, constructed 1943.

Selection C

US 34 (Burlington) Bridge over the Mississippi River, FHWA No. 23441 – 78’ x 2268’ cable stayed bridge, 660’ main span, constructed 1994.

Selection D

I-129 Bridge over the Missouri River, FHWA No. 600765 – 79’ x 2606’ (Spans #9 thru #18) steel girder bridge, 450’ main span, constructed 1976.

Iowa 92 (Muscatine) Bridge over the Mississippi River, FHWA No. 38201 – 32’ x 3017’ steel high truss bridge, 512’ main span, constructed 1972.

Full plans and previous inspection reports will be provided to the selected consultants.

The inspections are to include a hands-on inspection of fracture critical members and a routine inspection of the remaining above water portions of the structure following the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). Underwater inspection of the below water portions of the substructure is not included in this work. The consultants selected shall be responsible for all portions of the inspection including developing and implementing a quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) plan. The consultants selected will be required to provide documentation that the personnel involved in the inspection meet the qualifications of the NBIS.

The consultants will be responsible for providing all traffic control and access equipment. Preference will be given to consultants who demonstrate inspection methods that will minimize traffic restrictions. All traffic control will be accordance with the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control and Iowa DOT Standard Road Plans for Traffic Control. Restrictions on time and days for lane closure may be in place.

The inspections for the Iowa 9 and Iowa 92 bridges are to be completed by August 31, 2009 and the inspections for the remaining bridges are to be completed by October 31, 2009. Reports are to be completed 45 calendar days following the completion of the inspections. It is anticipated that work for these selections will be authorized to begin July 1, 2009.

The Iowa DOT is contacting your firm to determine your interest in being considered for this work. If your firm is interested in providing the described services, please submit a proposal stating your ability and availability to complete this work. Only electronic submittals will be accepted. The PDF should be formatted to print on 8.5” x 11” pages. Proposals must be limited to twenty single-sided 8.5” x 11” pages. Proposal covers, dividers, and a single-page cover letter will not be counted against the page limit. Proposal pages in excess of page 20 may not be considered. On the cover page of the proposal, please include the RFP for which the proposal is submitted and the email address of the person who should receive the results of the selection. Costs should not be submitted as part of the proposal and if submitted will not be considered.

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program does not apply to these proposed contracts. However, the department encourages the spirit of the program be incorporated in these proposed contracts when outside assistance may be required to perform the work.

The Iowa DOT will treat all information submitted by a consultant as open records following the conclusion of the selection process. Open records are public records that are open for public examination and copying. The Iowa DOT’s release of records is governed by Iowa Code Chapter 22 and 761 IAC Chapter 4. Consultants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these laws before submitting a proposal.

The selection committee has established the following criteria for evaluating the proposals submitted. The weighted value of each criterion is indicated.

A. Staffing:

1. Specific qualifications of project manager - 15%

2. Specific qualifications of team - 10%

B. Past experience with similar types of work - 50%

The evaluation will primarily consider past experience of the identified project manager and staff that will comprise the project team.

C. Access for inspection - 15%

The evaluation will consider the use of inspection access methods that will limit traffic restrictions.

D. Ability to meet schedules - 10%

Your proposal should include:

A. The name and office address of the project manager who will direct the work and the names of key staff that will be working on the contract.

B. The location of the office where the majority of the work will be performed.

C. A list of subconsultants and the work they will perform.

D. A disclosure of any work you have for other clients that may be affected by the work on the proposed contract.

E. A list of references from a variety of projects and contact information for the listed references. References can be for work done other than for the Iowa DOT.

The electronic proposal must be submitted via email to . An email will be sent confirming receipt of the proposal within 30 minutes or by 1:00 p.m. on the submittal deadline date, whichever is later. For your firm to be considered, all information must be received by 3 p.m. on March 12, 2009.

If there are any questions concerning this letter, please submit your requests via email to . Any questions about this RFP must be received by noon on March 5, 2009. Questions and answers regarding this RFP will be posted on the following web site:

Contacting any other selection team member is considered inappropriate. Oral interviews are not anticipated.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Todsen, P.E.

Office of Bridges and Structures

cc: N. McDonald, Bridges and Structures

D. Maifield, Bureau Support Services