Automated Mat Casting Plant

SOURCES SOUGHT

Automated Mat Casting at Richardson Landing, TN

Introduction: This is a SOURCES SOUGHT announcement; a market survey for information only, to be used for planning purposes. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Government is seeking qualified, experienced sources capable of executing a design build contract to develop an automated casting plant at Richardson Landing to mass produce articulated concrete mattress (ACM) squares to government specifications within specific tolerances. Squares cast will be stored on the current casting field and have must have a compressive design strength of 3,000 psi at 28 days.

Background: Annually, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mississippi Valley Division casts approximately 150,000 squares of ACM at 3 government furnished locations (see Figure 1). The ACM is used as revetment to maintain channel stability for the Lower Mississippi River. Casting ACM has historically been provided via manual labor and cast outdoors as weather permits.

Articulated Concrete Mattress – Current Process:

An articulated concrete mattress square consists of 16 individual concrete blocks (4 feet x 18 inches x 3 inches thick). They are currently cast in government furnished forms upon a proprietary wire mesh to form an articulated concrete mattress square (4 feet x 25 feet x 3 inches) that is used as an assembly system for interconnecting the 16 concrete blocks. A mix design is used to acquire 3,000 psi on a 28-day cylinder break.

Squares of mattress are cast in stacks of 13 that are neatly aligned vertically and by rows (see Figure 2). One layer of specified paper is placed as a separation beneath the bottom square of each stack and between each successive layer of mattress. The current process requires the wire mesh to be placed on the paper with the cross wires (bracket wires) on top of the longitudinal wires. The forms are then placed over the wire mesh, the wire mesh drawn up into the notches in the sides and cross pieces of the forms, and cross rods driven. The central location of the wire mesh in the form is very important. Also, the mat surface is consequently grooved to provide indentations of approximately 1/4 inch in depth and 1/8-inch width.

The process includes the concrete compacted to the depth of a government furnished form by the use of vibration. The concrete is properly consolidated with no rock pockets, excessive voids or honeycombs visible on the mat surface. The concrete is struck flush with the top of the forms and given a uniform surface finish and uniform thickness. Any squares not meeting government furnished specifications are rejected.

Requirements:

The Contractor shall design and develop a semi-automated casting facility on the grounds of the exiting government casting yard that can produce a minimum of 50,000 squares per calendar year per shift with the maximum capability of 150,000 squares annually with 3 shifts. The main goals of this project include:

• Year-round, indoor casting capability with no weather-related quality issues during production


• Scalable based on number of operating shifts


• Reduced touchpoints via automation


• High quality, increased production, improved efficiency and consistency


• Improved Safety


• Skilled labor and reduced work force


• Require fewer forms (improved consistency)


• Heat/Steam curing to reduce cement usage, decrease CO2, and higher strength in a shorter timeframe


• Modern Batching System will be more efficient and provide a constant mix design


• Eliminate the use of separation paper between squares

The new automated facility will cast ACM using coarse and fine aggregate, Portland cement, fly ash, air-entraining admixtures, and calcium chloride to produce articulated concrete squares, to government specifications. Squares of mattress shall be provided in stacks of up to 14 that are neatly aligned vertically and will be placed in the storage yard in rows by the operational contractor using government furnished high lift cranes. Squares cast will be identical with minimal tolerance and have compressive design strength of 3,000 psi at 28 days. Quality is the utmost importance. Steam curing and other technologies for concrete preparation will be included while the overall design and specifications of the mattress will remain the same.

The design of the automated facility will be part of the contract and will ensure that the facility design has been adequately coordinated between all disciplines. Specifically, the capacity of the infrastructure within the facility shall be designed to meet the demands of the equipment within the facility. The design will be a two-phase design build project and will require the contractor to procure automation equipment that meets all “Buy American” requirements and the design will meet all required policies for a DOD facility. Several of the main required policies are listed below:

• Department of Defense (2019). Unified Facilities Criteria, Facilities Criteria and Unified Facilities Guide Specifications, MIL-STD-3007G.


• Department of Defense (2024). DOD Building Code, UFC 1-200-01.


• Department of the Army (1999). Engineering and Design for Civil Works Projects, ER 1110-2-1150.


• Department of the Army (2024). Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) Requirements, EM 385-1-1.


• DOD Design Criteria: https://www.wbdg.org/ffc/dod/unified-facilities-criteria-ufc


• All designs shall be in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

Interested firms should submit a capabilities package to include the following: The prime firm and/or its subcontractor(s) (hereinafter referred to collectively as “firm”) shall have relevant experience in mass production of casting concrete products. The firm shall demonstrate experience using pre-cast concrete. This experience must have been performed within the last five years.

Firm’s response to this Synopsis shall be limited to 10 pages and shall include the following information:

1. Firm’s name, address, point of contact, phone number and e-mail address.


2. Firm’s prior experience in pre-cast concrete.


3. Firm’s capability to perform a contract of this magnitude (> $20M) and complexity.


4. Firm’s Business Size (Small Business, Large Business, .etc.) and bonding capacity.


5. Firms overall approach to the requirements listed above.


6. The firm’s capability for performing a design build contract for the entirety of this requirement (facility and equipment).


7. Any assumptions or constraints in the overall execution plan.


8. A Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate for the completed project.

Interested Firm’s shall respond to this Sources Sought Announcement no later than 12:00PM CST, 5 January 2025. All interested firms must be registered in SAM. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this synopsis or any follow up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.