The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole-source basis with Dywidag-Systems International under the authority of 41 US 3304(a)(1) for a steel tie-down system. Background Information The Engineering Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is currently enhancing its structural testing capabilities by outfitting the structural testing laboratory with a new lateral load testing capability. The structural testing laboratory has a 6 ft thick heavily reinforced concrete strong floor containing an embedded grid of steel wide flange beams spanning in the east-west direction and continuous steel plates (1¼ in × 15 in) spanning in the north-south direction. Threaded socket anchors (1.5 in UNF) are embedded in the concrete in a regular pattern with a center-to-center spacing in the east-west direction of 60 in and an alternating center-to-center spacing in the north-south direction of 13 in and 47 in. Each floor anchor has a working capacity of 100 kip in tension and 100 kip in shear. The structural testing laboratory is also equipped with servohydraulic actuators and a hydraulic power distribution and control system for applying controlled forces and displacements in structural testing. NIST requires a steel tie-down system to anchor stacks of concrete structural reaction blocks (CSRBs) to the concrete structural reaction floor and to each other to form CSRB reaction walls. These CSRB reaction walls constitute a new lateral load testing capability for the PERFORM Structural Testbed (i.e. the structural testing laboratory at NIST Gaithersburg, MD). Basis for Sole Source The basis for sole source is due to the fact that the required steel tie-down system will be integrated with existing Dwyidag threadbar anchorage systems, which NIST has been using for more than 20-years. The required steel tie-down system must be fully compatible with the equipment comprising this existing system, which includes Dwyidag threadbar, threadbar nuts, threadbar couplers, and anchor plates. Dywidag-Systems International is the only company that offers items that are fully compatible with the components of the existing system. General The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 238120 - Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors. The small business size standard is $15M. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, responses received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 13, 2018 will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for NIST may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing on or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Adam Powell at
[email protected]. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted so that they are received at
[email protected] no later than the aforementioned due date.