Hurricane Maria Wind Speed Modeling, Mapping, and Related Analysis Support Services

Notice Type: Special Notice

Posted Date: 10-OCT-18

Office Address: Department of Commerce; National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Acquisition Management Division; 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301Room B130 Gaithersburg MD 20899-1410

Subject: Hurricane Maria Wind Speed Modeling, Mapping, and Related Analysis Support Services

Classification Code: R - Professional, administrative, and management support services

Solicitation Number: 18-03843

Contact: Hing Pan Wong, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-975-6289, Email hingpan.wong@nist.gov - Adam Powell, Contract Specialist, Email adam.powell@nist.gov

Setaside: N/AN/A

Place of Performance (address): National Institute of Standards and TechnologyGaithersburg, MD

Place of Performance (zipcode): 20899

Place of Performance Country: US

Description: Department of Commerce

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Acquisition Management Division

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole-source basis with Applied Research Associates, Inc. under the authority of 41 US 3304(a)(1) for Hurricane Maria wind speed modeling, mapping, and related analysis support services for a base period of three-years with one six-month option period (i.e. commencing November 1, 2019).

Background Information

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requires Contractor support services to provide wind field modeling, mapping, and related analysis in support NIST's recently initiated National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Technical Investigation of Hurricane Maria's impact on Puerto Rico. These needed wind research products build on and extend work previously conducted by Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) for NIST to develop wind field mapping procedures and wind maps for Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Nate.

NIST will study the impacts of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico, focusing specifically on the performance of critical buildings and their dependence on distributed infrastructure (such as electricity and water), as well as emergency communications and the public's response to those communications. Under the NCST Act, signed into law in 2002, NIST is authorized to establish teams to investigate building failures that have resulted in substantial loss of life or that posed the potential for substantial loss of life.

Based on a preliminary reconnaissance to Puerto Rico, the NIST Director established an NCST on February 21, 2018 to investigate the impacts of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico and to determine the:

* Characteristics of the storm hazards, including the pattern, location and cause of injuries and fatalities;

* Performance of emergency communications systems and the public's response to such communications; and

* Performance of representative critical buildings and designated safe areas in those buildings, including their dependence on infrastructure (e.g., electricity and water).

Additionally, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) was established by Congress "...to achieve major measurable reductions in the losses of life and property from windstorms through a coordinated Federal effort, in cooperation with other levels of government, academia, and the private sector, aimed at improving the understanding of windstorms and their impacts and developing and encouraging the implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures to reduce those impacts."

The purpose of this requirement is to develop a much more sophisticated forensic wind field model for Hurricane Maria.

Basis for Sole Source

Applied Research Associates, Inc. has performed rapid win field modeling for Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Nate. The purpose of the requirement described herein is to build on the Hurricane Maria rapid wind field analysis efforts previously conducted by Applied Research Associates, Inc.

Although Applied Research Associate's hurricane modeling code has been published in technical pee-reviewed literature and is the basis for all of the design wind speed maps used in the national model building codes and standards since 2005, the code is proprietary.

Applied Research Associates, Inc. has done all of the hurricane modeling underlying those maps that govern design of buildings across the United States and its Territories, including those in the current editions of the ASCE 7 Standard and International Building Code (which were produced under previous Applied Research Associates, Inc. NIST contracts).

One of NIST's main requirements in the Hurricane Maria technical investigation is to compare the best estimates of wind speeds experienced during Maria to the design wind speeds required by the building code. It is imperative that NIST uses the same hurricane model in the forensic work that was used to create the design wind speed maps to ensure continuity and consistency in data comparison.

The Government, through both NIST and FEMA contracts, has already made a significant investment specific to hurricane modeling of Puerto Rico - including modeling for Hurricane Maria that is proprietary to Applied Research Associates, Inc.

General

The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). The small business size standard is 1,000 employees.

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 October 17, 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 Hing Pan Wong at hingpan.wong@nist.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted so that they are received at hingpan.wong@nist.gov no later than the aforementioned due date.

Link/URL: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/18-03843/listing.html