38--Sources Sought - Ice Breaker Attachment

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended for information and planning purposes only at this time and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Park Service (NPS). Because this is a RFI announcement, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. No solicitation exists. Therefore, do not request a copy of a solicitation. The NPS has a requirement for the purchase of a U.S.-made Ice Breaker Attachment for a motor grader or wheel loader. REQUIRED SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/DETAILS: The purpose of this ice breaker attachment will be to break up unwanted ice and compact snow from travelled roads, parking lots, housing areas, walkways etc. and assist in summer grading operations on gravel and dirt surfaces. The ice breaker working width must at least be a minimum of 102¿ The ice breaker must be an all-season tool, breaking compact snow and ice in winter and assisting gravel and dirt grading operations in other seasons. Unit must be able to break up ice and compact snow on pavement, concrete, and gravel surfaces with minimal to no damage to surfaces. Unit must be able to break up ice and compact snow on pavement/concrete and gravel roads to a thickness of a minimum of 2.4-inches in a single pass. Ice breaker must be able to work in float position for trucks/tractors/loaders/motor graders with no down pressure applied. Ice breaker must be able to work with machines with down pressure to remove thicker ice and compact snow and gravel/dirt. Ice breaker attachment must have minimum rubber bushings to allow spiked/segment roller drums to follow the contour of the road. Ice breaker attachment must freely rotate when pushed by a prime mover motor powered chassis. Attachment must weigh between 3,500 lbs. and not more than 6,000 lbs. Must have roller elements that can be replaced when worn. Bearings within roller elements must be greaseable and replaceable. Ice breaker contact segments must be made of hardened steel to ensure long life while breaking ice Must be easily serviceable on routine maintenance items. Ice breaker attachment must be capable of being operated safely and effectively at speeds of 5 mph to 25 mph. Ice breaker attachment must be easily transportable for travel to work sites. Ice breaker attachment must be able to stand alone to allow easy storage, hitching and dismantling. Ice breaker attachment must provide an adequate hole spacing and hole depth to allow sufficient gaps to pavement surface to help break the bonding of any residual ice during sunny / warmer days at 7500 feet elevation or turn over compacted gravel and dirt during summer operations. Ice breaker will have a tilt cylinder on unit to adjust for thicker ice in locations. DELIVERY Crater Lake National Park Maintenance Shops Munson Valley Road Crater Lake, OR 97604 GPS Coordinates: 42°53'44.1"N 122°08'12.4"W FAR 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997) (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of market research. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.