TRACKED LINE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with
Peru/Colombia/Panama
Tendering Procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid
Attachment: YES (MERX) Electronic
Competitive Procurement Strategy: Lowest/Lower Bid
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements: 
TRACKED LINE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

W8476-144458/A
Khan, Shazia
Telephone No. - (819) 956-7345 (    )
Fax No. - (819) 956-5227
______________________________

AMENDMENT 006

This amendment is raised to provide questions and answers to
potential bidders as follows:

Question: Para 3.12.2 ii) - Portable electric winch
A 250 ft long cable is not readily available for a 10,000 lbs
electric winch.  Will you accept shorter length, at 125 ft? 
This seems to be the norm.  With cable longer than this, you
will likely overload the electric motor.

Answer: This is a shall(E) requirement, therefore equivalent can
be offered.  Please provide details in the bid package.  During
the bid evaluation, the Technical Authority will do the
evaluation and decide to accept it or not.

All other terms and conditions remain the same
______________________________

AMENDMENT 005

This amendment is raised to provide questions and answers to
potential bidders as follows:

Question: Para 3.3.2 - Aerial Device Safety
ANSI 10.31 applies to everything related to the digger derrick
and even accounts for the bucket option including the dielectric
testing.  This cannot be crossed with CSA standard.  If you look
at CSA C225, section 1.2.2 "Equipment not covered", digger
derricks are mentioned and shown to be covered under ANSI A10.31.

Answer: The ANSI /ASSE A10.31-2006 standard applies to special
multipurpose vehicle-mounted machines, commonly known as digger
derricks. These machines are primarily designed to accommodate
components that dig holes, set poles and position materials and
apparatus.  The purpose of the CSA C225-10 standard is to
establish criteria for the design, manufacture, testing,
inspection, installation, maintenance, use and operation of
vehicle-mounted aerial devices installed on a chassis, primarily
used to position personnel.  Therefore, both standards apply to
this vehicle.


Question: Para 3.7.1 - Tracks
This paragraph states that tracks 'shall' have rubber
cross-links.  Ours are rubber belts with steel D-dent grousers. 
Is this acceptable?

DELETE
Para 3.7.1 - Tracks

Answer: INSERT 
Para 3.7.1 Tracks - The track shall:
(a)	Include rubber 5-ply belts as a minimum; and
(b)	Be able to be fitted with ice cleats when required. Ice
cleats shall be provided with each tracked vehicle.


Question: Para 3.12.4 c) Platform
This paragraph states that bucket levelling to be hydraulic. 
Ours is gravity with disc brake.  Is this acceptable?

Answer: This is a shall(E) requirement, therefore equivalent can
be offered.  Please provide details in the bid package.  During
the bid evaluation, the Technical Authority will do the
evaluation and decide to accept it or not.



Question: Para 3.12.4 d) Platform
This paragraph states that unit to have hydraulic bucket
rotator.  This is not available on most, if not all diggers. 
Will unit be accepted without this feature?

Answer:This is a shall(E) requirement, therefore equivalent can
be offered.  Please provide details in the bid package.  During
the bid evaluation, the Technical Authority will do the
evaluation and decide to accept it or not.


Question: Para 3.4 (d) - Tracked Vehicle Performance
Have a ground Pressure at maximum 2.0 psi without load.  Is this
not redundant as the unit will be built with equipment
permanently mounted, thus putting load on it.  The important
measurement is the fully loaded one.  Can the 2.0 psi unloaded
have some variance?

Answer: DELETE
Para 3.4 (d)

INSERT 
Para 3.4 (d)   Have a ground pressure with 6" penetration of
maximum 5.0 psi fully loaded; 



All other terms and conditions remain the same.

______________________________
AMENDMENT 004

This amendment is raised to modify the Purchase Description (PD)
and to provide questions and answers to potential bidders as
follows:

1. Purchase Description for Tracked Line Construction Vehicle
40ft dated August 2013

Delete: in its entirety

Insert: Purchase Description for Tracked Line Construction
Vehicle 40ft dated 01 October 2013


2. Question: On the digger side:
Para 3.12.1 (f) Digging radius, we would be from 14.2 to 21.5

Answer: The word shall will be changed to shall(E).   The PD
will be amended to reflect this change.  Consequently, an
equivalent can be offered, therefore please provide details in
the bid package.  During the bid evaluation, the Technical
Authority will do the evaluation and decide to accept it or not.


Question: On the digger side:
Para 3.12.3 (b) Can we use another brand than Kentucky, Pengo is
normally the one offered.

Answer: At Para 3.12.3 (b), the brand name Kentucky will be
deleted in the PD.  The PD will be amended to reflect this
change.


Question: On the digger side:
Para 3.12.4 (d) The bucket rotator is not offered on the digger
derricks

Answer: This is a shall(E) requirement, therefore equivalent can
be offered.  Please provide details in the bid package.  During
the bid evaluation, the Technical Authority will do the
evaluation and decide to accept it or not.


Question: On the digger side:
Para 3.12.19 (e) Upper controls would be permanently mounted,
but not fully hydraulic, in-order to keep space for other
functions.  They can also be pinned to either the second or
third stage.

Answer: This is a shall(E) requirement, therefore equivalent can
be offered.  Please provide details in the bid package.  During
the bid evaluation, the Technical Authority will do the
evaluation and decide to accept it or not.


Question: Para 3.11 (f) - Our standard units are equipped with
an hour meter in lieu of an odometer.  An hour meter is
traditionally used in equipment which is both driven and used
stationary as it provides a true indication of equipment use. 
Is this acceptable?

Answer: DELETE
Para 3.11 (f) Odometer;

INSERT
Para 3.11 (f) Hour-meter - An hour-meter with numeric display,
which accurately records accumulated engine running time up to
at least 9,999 hours;


Question: Para 3.6.1 (g) The auxiliary gear pump is sized so
that the GPM provided at engine idle is suitable for aerial
device operation, negating the requirement for an automatic fast
idle device.  Is this acceptable?

Answer: Requirement identified by the word 'shall' is mandatory.
 Deviation will not be permitted.


Question: Para 3.6.1 (h) The engine used in our standard unit is
a mechanical injection diesel engine with no allowance for an
electronic adjusting hand throttle.  We provide mechanical hand
throttles.  Is this acceptable?

Answer: Requirement identified by the word 'shall' is mandatory.
 Deviation will not be permitted.


Question: Para 3.12.1 (h) Our standard units are now equipped
with a planetary drive rotation which provides better protection
against side loading than a worm gear drive.  Is this acceptable?

Answer: DELETE
Para 3.12.1 (h)

INSERT 
Para 3.12.1 (h)  Shall have 360 degree continuous rotation or a
minimum 370 degrees non-continuous rotation.  If non-continuous
is used, the rotation stop shall(E) be at forward centre of
turret to allow free rotation at rear of tracked vehicle;


Question: 3.12.5 (a)  Our standard pole puller has a rated
capacity of 23 500kg at 3,000 psi and comes with a high pressure
tools circuit for the operation of the pole puller.  This allows
us to meet the capacity requirement with a lighter,
ergonomically friendly unit.  Is this acceptable?

Answer: The word shall will be changed to shall(E).   The PD
will be amended to reflect this change.  Consequently, an
equivalent can be offered, therefore please provide details in
the bid package.  During the bid evaluation, the Technical
Authority will do the evaluation and decide to accept it or not.


 All other terms and conditions remain the same.

______________________________

AMENDMENT 003

This amendment is raised to extend the bid closing date as
follows:

Page 1 Solicitation Closes

Delete: 2013-10-21

Insert: 2013-10-31

All other terms and conditions remain the same.

______________________________

AMENDMENT 002

This amendment is raised to modify the Request For Proposal
(RFP), the Purchase Description (PD) and the Technical
Information Questionnaire (TIQ) as follows:

1. Request For Proposal (RFP) -  Bid Closing Date:

Delete: 2013-10-07

Insert: 2013-10-21


2. Purchase Description for Tracked Line Construction Vehicle
40ft dated April 2013

Delete: in its entirety

Insert: Purchase Description for Tracked Line Construction
Vehicle 40ft dated August 2013


3. Technical Information Questionnaire dated 2013-04-23

Delete: in its entirety

Insert: Technical Information Questionnaire modified 2013-08-13

 All other terms and conditions remain the same.

______________________________

AMENDMENT 001

This amendment is raised to provide questions and answers to
potential bidders as follows:

Question: To better understand the application to determine the
value of an Automatic greasing system could you let me know what
these machines primary function will be?

Answer: The tracked vehicle will be used in domestic and
expeditionary operations for aerial, overhead and underground
telecommunications cable installation and maintenance, post/pole
hole digging, setting, and removal.


Question: Have you looking into equipping Automatic greasing
systems on these machines? This is a system that will automate
the process of greasing the individual grease zerks for the
moving contact points (pins/bushings, brakes, steering, boom
joints, etc). The benefits of these systems are:

- No longer needing to depend on an the individual operating the
machine to grease manually (workers rarely get out and grease,
especially when weather is poor)
- Greasing while/only when the machine is in operation (while in
motion allows the grease to fully penetrate the entire surface
area of the pin/bushing being greased)
- Savings in grease consumption (only uses small amounts of
grease, constantly based on a preset interval dependent on the
amount of use of each individual contact point versus manually
greasing until grease comes out the opposite end - **wasting
grease on every application)  *** approximately 30-50% savings
in grease
- Delays premature wear of parts
- Allows operator to work full hours, not having to take an hour
to grease 1-2 times per day depending on application

Answer: An auto-lubrication system will be added at Para 3.17.1
of the Purchase Description.  The PD will be amended to reflect
this change.

Insert:
3.17.1  Auto-Lubrication System - Auto-lubrication system
servicing the maximum number of grease points shall be provided
on the tracked vehicle.  The grease reservoir shall be full when
vehicle is delivered.

All other terms and conditions remain the same.

______________________________

The Department of National Defence has a requirement to purchase
five (5) Tracked Line Construction Vehicles and ancillary items,
including familiarization instruction/training, in accordance
with the Purchase Description for Tracked Line Construction
Vehicle 40 ft, dated 2013-04, and as described at Annex A -
Pricing. 

The requirement includes an option to purchase up to three (3)
Tracked Line Construction Vehicles and ancillary items to be
exercised within twelve (12) months from the effective date of
the contract.

The requirement is subject to the provisions of the World Trade
Organization Agreement on Government Procurement, the North
American Free Trade Agreement, the Canada-Columbia Free Trade
Agreement, the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement, the
Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement and the Agreement on Internal
Trade.

Debriefings
After contract award, bidders may request a debriefing on the
results of the bid solicitation. Bidders should make the request
to the Contracting Authority within 15 working days of receipt
of notification that their bid was unsuccessful. The debriefing
may be provided in writing, by telephone or in person.
Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any
procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.