SLAC National Accelerator is a one of 17 Department of Energy (DOE) national labs, pushes the frontiers of human knowledge, and drives discoveries that benefit humankind. We invent the tools that make those discoveries possible and share them with scientists all over the world. The Matter in Extreme Conditions Petawatt Upgrade (MEC-U) project is initiated to design, fabricate, install, and commission a high-peak-power and high-energy laser facility to address the need for a national user facility for High Energy Density Plasma Science (HEDPS), enabling leading plasma physics research. MEC-U will require new conventional facilities (CF) to house and serve the laser and experimental systems. These facilities will include: A new subterranean experimental hall A new above-grade support building Reconfiguration of the existing Far Experimental Hall (FEH) Package A – Tunneling This package includes design-build (D-B) delivery of the subterranean cavern, access tunnel, and transfer tunnel of ~26,000 SF, plus a portal structure. The cavern liner must be finished (in some areas) with a surface that supports clean room requirements. Package B – Conventional Construction This package includes D-B delivery of a fully integrated experimental facility consisting of three primary components: 1. eXtreme Experimental Hall (XEH) The XEH will be constructed in the cavern delivered by package A. Its features include: Two Laser Hall areas (Class 10k clean rooms) Two Target Chamber areas (Class 100k clean rooms) Radiation-shielded doors in concrete shield walls (walls may be in Package A) A composite steel/concrete equipment platform Heavy-concrete radiation shield walls (~1.6m thick) Conveyances (bridge cranes, equipment lifts, personnel lift) MEPFp systems to support experimental equipment (experimental systems by others) 2. XEH Support Building The single-story XEH Support Building will be built adjacent to the cavern access tunnel portal. It is composed of two functional areas, the XEH Central Plant and the MEC-U Control Building totaling ~15,000 SF. The XEH Central Plant will house the electrical substation, chillers, boilers, and other systems serving the XEH. It will also provide receiving and storage areas connected to the XEH access tunnel portal. The MEC-U Control Building will serve as the program headquarters and consist of the following spaces: Base Scope: Central Plant Restroom IT BDF Storage Optional Scope Laser Control Room Assembly lab spaces (Class 1k to 10k clean rooms) Private and open office space Meeting and collaboration rooms Lobby, Breakroom Restrooms 3. Far Experimental Hall Reconfiguration The existing Far Experimental Hall (FEH) is a subterranean experimental facility. Reconfiguration of this space is necessary to extend existing beam lines into the XEH. Reconfiguration includes interior demolition and relocation of existing services. Procurement Strategy Design-Build (D-B) packages A and B will be procured via Two-Step, Best Value Trade-Off method. The project is developing Design Guidelines and Performance Specifications (DGPS) for each package. The DGPS packages are intended to inform the D-B contractor to meet SLAC, DOE, and MEC-U (project) requirements. The intended solicitations will include two design-build, multi-year, incrementally funded, firm fixed price contracts: Package A – Tunneling Package B – Conventional Facilities Upon the receipt of Step One (qualifications) proposals, a short list of 3 proposers shall be chosen to provide technical and priced proposals. Upon award of the resultant contract, a stipend is anticipated be paid to each of the 2 unsuccessful proposers from the short list. The project is also considering award fees to incentivize performance that drives overall project success. The anticipated RFP (Step 1) release dates are as follows: Package A – Tunneling: March 2023 Package B – Conventional Construction: June 2023 Request for Industry Input: To improve the solicitations, SLAC seeks industry input on the following questions prior to finalizing the solicitation: Project funding and authorization by the DOE will be incremental. This will result in phased funding of each D-B contract package. The successful proposer will be selected for the entire D-B contract, with the contract awarded in 3 phases. The proposed award schedule is Base Scope for Design and Construction Consulting (10% of total value) Option 1+ Construction Funding (90% of total value) Questions: Does this approach of Base Scope Design/ Option 1+ Construction affect your interest in the project? If so, how? The MEC-U project plans two (2) award packages as described above: Package A – Tunneling and Package B – Conventional Construction. Questions: 3. Is your firm interested in proposing on Package A, Package B, or Both? 4. Package A – Tunneling will include at minimum the cavern excavation, liner system, mud slabs, and rough portal. Should any other project components (e.g., invert slab, concrete shield walls, sub-slab drains, conduits, grounding connections, etc.) be part of this package? 5. Do you have other questions or comments regarding the proposed solicitations as described above? Please email your responses to AJ Vandermeyden at
[email protected]