IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
TO OFFICE:Highway DivisionDATE:August 30, 2005
ATTENTION:Daniel E. OhmanREF. NO.:500
FROM:Kent D. Nicholson
OFFICE:Design
SUBJECT:Request for Proposals
The following information pertains to this formal request for proposals regarding the development of an on-line resource for the use of software applications and design practices in the development of highway improvement projects for the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT). The prequalification categories for this project are 213, “Highway Design – Major Facility” and 214, “Highway Design – Major Facility – Urban”.
The Iowa Department of Transportation is contacting your firm and other prequalified consulting engineering firms to determine your interest and capability in providing services relating to the development of highway design projects. The firm selected will provide services to the Office of Design in the development of an electronic Project Automation Resource (PAR). The PAR is intended to be a comprehensive source documenting and standardizing the usage of automation tools and processes within the context of developing highway improvement projects. The PAR will also incorporate or be directly linked to information that will aid the user in applying our current highway design practices and methodologies. The purpose of this project is to create a tool in an electronic format for highway design staff that will document various software applications and automation techniques while relating them to our highway design practices. The PAR will be designed in a chronological order that is consistent with project development. The PAR will also explain to the users the reasoning for the use and application of our other automation tools. The organization will be broken down into very specific sections to facilitate revising this resource, as it needs to be updated in the future.
This project will require an extensive understanding and previous work experience with the CADD software MicroStation version 8.05 and the civil engineering design software GEOPAK version 8.05. Both of these software packages are products of Bentley Systems Incorporated. The firm selected will provide a project development team, including technical writers and highway designers experienced in the use of MicroStation and GEOPAK, to create the electronic project automation resource.
See Appendix “A” for the proposed outline of this project and Appendix “B” for a list of internet links to similar automation resources for highway design.
The estimated starting date for the development of this project is January 9, 2006. The estimated time frame for the completion of this project is approximately 20 to 26 months. The delivery of this project will be staged by components that will be determined during the scoping of the project.
Include in your submittal the name, qualifications, experience, availability, and office address of the project manager who will direct the work for your firm. The selection of a project manager by a firm for the entire project will constitute a contractual commitment and no substitutions will be allowed without prior written approval by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Include in your submittal the names qualifications, experience, availability, and the work tasks for which each of the key staff that will be working on the contract. Also provide the location of your office where the majority of the work will be performed.
Included in your submittal should be a statement describing your team’s understanding of the project and a scope of work outlining key issues and your approach to the project. It would also be helpful to have a brief discussion of similar projects the individuals on your team may have completed in recent years and the resources available to your team that will be used on the project including your firm's use of equipment, software, and automated technology and its compatibility with equipment and technology used by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Interested firms are encouraged to create a project development team that may include technical writers and software developers. Included in your submittal should be a list of partners that will be included in the project team, their primary areas of responsibility, and an estimate of their portion of the total work.
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, which is included in Section 1101 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, does not apply to this proposed contract. However, the Department encourages the spirit of the Act to be incorporated when outside assistance may be required to perform the work.
Costs should not be submitted as a part of your firm's proposal and if submitted will not be considered.
The following is a list of evaluation criteria and there associated weightings that will be used by the selection committee in reviewing and rating your proposal:
Staff Experience – 30 %
a.What are the qualifications and experience related to this project of your project manager?
b.What are the qualifications and experience related to the project of your key staff and that of the sub consultants?
c.What are the current major assignments and deadlines of people who will be working on the project?
Project Management – 25%
a.How will your team be structured to approach this project?
b.Does the project manager have the authority to allocate additional resources to maintain the schedule?
c.Resources the firm has available and proposes to use on the project. This includes the vendor’s use of equipment and automated technology and compatibility with equipment and technology used by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Technology – 20%
The prime consultant is required to have extensive understanding and pervious work experience with the CADD platform software MicroStation® and the civil engineering design software GEOPAK®. The project team is to explain how it will create the proposed tool in an on-line format and how best the DOT will maintain this tool as changes occur in the future.
Project Functionality – 15%
Describe your understanding of how designers will use this tool in the future and how your specific proposal will result in the desired result outline in the project description.
Current Workload – 10%
What is the current workload of your project manager and key staff and their availability to be committed to this project?
Oral interviews are not anticipated for this selection process. However, the Department of Transportation reserves the right to conduct oral interviews.
The proposal should be a document of no more than ten (10) double-sided pages, not including dividers and the front and back covers. Any proposals exceeding 10 pages will not be considered.
It is required that you disclose any work for other clients that may be affected by work on the proposed contract, to avoid a potential conflict of interest.
If you have any questions concerning this letter or other technical questions, please submit your requests via e-mail to Kent Nicholson at . Any questions must be received by 3:00 p.m., October 19, 2005. Any inquires after this date cannot be answered because of the necessary time frame to allow the response to be sent to all other qualified firms. Questions and answers regarding this RFP will be posted on the following web site: Contacting any other selection team members would be considered inappropriate.
If you have any questions concerning consultant utilization or questions regarding the prequalification process you can find information about the prequalification process on the Iowa DOT website at (Click on "Doing Business with the DOT" and choose "Professional & Technical Consultant Utilization.") or contact:
Daniel E. Ohman, P.E.
Assistant Design Engineer – Development
Office of Design
800 Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa 50010
(515) 239-1505
E-mail:
The prime consultant must be prequalified for Category 213 "Highway Design - Major Facility" and 214, “Highway Design – Major Facility – Urban” at the time the proposal is submitted.
For your firm to be considered, all information must be received by 3:00 p.m., October 28, 2005. Please submit 3 copies of this information to:
Kent D. Nicholson, PE
Assistant Design Engineer, Support
Office of Design
Iowa Department of Transportation
800 Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa 50010
E-mail:
Sincerely,
Kent D. Nicholson, P.E.
Selection Committee Team Leader
cc:Michael J. Kennerly
Appendix “A”
The following is an outline of the table of contents for the resource with the elements that are proposed for completion of the project.
1 - General Information
Naming Conventions
GEOPAK Element and File Naming Conventions
Example: GEOPAK Element and File Naming
Models
Naming Conventions and Purpose
Information Typically Found In Each Model
Project Directory Setup
What You Should Find in a Project Directory
Setting Up Folders
Suggested Folder Organization with Reasoning
Folder and File Cross-Associations and Explanations
Seed Files and Naming (“Copy Seed” program description)
Creating MicroStation Design Files
GEOPAK Setup
GEOPAK Road User Preferences
Project Manager
Initial Setup
Setting Up Working Alignments
2 - Horizontal Alignments
Material available from the Survey
Files Available and their use
Recreating Survey alignments with input files
How to adjust the survey created Input file
Problems to watch out for with the survey alignments
Survey reports and what they contain
Storing Points, Curves, and Chains
Saving Input files to Capture Alignment Creation
Using and editing input files
Using the COGO Editor
Using Text Editor
Creating Input Files for Existing Alignments
Incomplete Alignments
When and How to Use
Example Input Files
Describing and Printing Stored Information in COGO
Profile Grade Line Chains (PGL)
When and How to Use
2.1 Intersection Returns
Intersection Returns
Auto Turn
Graphical Method for Edge alignments
Incomplete Alignment Method
Edge Alignments
Shape Tools for Analyzing Proposed Shapes
Edge Profiles
Sheeting Edge Profiles
3 – Vertical Alignments
Creating and Existing Ground Profile
Establishing Location of Profile in .DSN files
Storing Edge of Pavement Profiles
Scales Used in Plotting Profiles
“K” Value Charts
Offset Profiles
Projecting a Profile onto a Chain
4 - Shape Files
Shape File Explanation
Leveling and Coloring Schemes
Placing Patterns
Creating Shape Input Files Through GEOPAK
Spread sheets for Super Elevation
Reviewing Shapes and Inputs
Creating Shapes with Shape Maker
Using Shape Analysis and Manipulation tools
5 - Cross Sections
Creating Existing Cross Sections
Navigation Cross Section Files/ Using Labeling and Drawing tools
Setting up Files to Process Cross Sections
Cross Section Runs in Project Manager
oSetting up runs and Selecting Typicals
oAdjusting Variables
oSaving and Copying runs
oCreating Log Files
oTrouble Shooting
oCommon Errors
Cross Section Input Files (OLD Method)
oCreating Input files
oVariable Files
oCriteria Files
Limits of Construction
Skewed Cross Sections
Drawing Match Lines in Cross Sections
Entrances and Side Roads in Cross Sections
Structures Drawn In Cross Sections
Cross Section Reports
Soil Layer Lines
Sheeting Cross Sections
Scales
Sheet Numbering Tools
Offsetting Cross Sections
6 – Drafting
Design and Computation Manager
Database
Horizontal Alignments
Vertical Alignments
Ditch Grades
7 - Sheet Preparation
Creating Plan Sheets
Creating Title, Typical, and Tabulation Sheets
Creating Plan and Profile Sheets
Sheet manipulation Tools
8 - Digital Terrain Models
Purpose
3D Cross Sections
How to Create Proposed Digital Terrain Models
Merging Tins
Using DTM’s to Show Adjacent Roads in Cross Sections
Wire Frame Models
How to Create Wire Frame Models
Drive-Through Models
9 – Earthwork
Input Files
Staging
Using Match Lines
Layer Lines
Topsoil Placement Lines in Cross Sections
Spread Sheet Application (Including Multiple Shrinks)
Plotting the Mass Diagram
Overhaul and Balances
T Sheets
Digital Terrain Models
10- Miscellaneous Software Applications
Design Public Hearing Displays
Soils
Electronic Plan Submittals
Batch Plotting and MicroStation Plotting
Bid Items
Auto-Turn
Appendix “B”
The following are examples of on-line automation references for highway designers that are similar to the intent of this project.
Ohio DOT:
Minnesota DOT:
Florida DOT:
California DOT: