Berea Sandstone

Trade Agreement: CETA / WTO-AGP / NAFTA / CFTA / FTAs with Peru / Colombia / Panama / Korea
Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited to bid
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Interchangeable Parts
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
IRG OPERATING LLC
5270 DEVON DRIVE
VERMILION Ohio
United States
44089
Nature of Requirements: 

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier. 

Definition of Requirement:

The Department of Public Services and Procurement Canada has a requirement for the supply, fabrication, and delivery of 10,000-15,000 cubic feet of Select Clear Buff Berea sandstone over 10 years for the rehabilitation and repair of heritage buildings located in Ottawa, Ontario. The initial contract will be for a period of 5 years with two two-year options and one additional one-year option period(s); for a total of ten (10) years. 

In addition to the supply of the sandstone, the work will involve the following: quarrying of stone in the specified quality, slabbing, splitting, fabrication, hand cutting and tooling, carving, statuary, storage, drafting and design, delivery, and brokerage coordination.
 
Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements):

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that its product meets the following requirements: 

Supply of goods:
The interested supplier must be capable of supplying Select Clear Buff Berea Sandstone, from the Berea formation in Ohio, USA to ASTM C616, Type 1, siliceous sandstone.
 
Materials must have the following physical properties:
- Porosity: between 17.5% and 21.5%
- Water Absorption: between 5.25% and 6.75%
- Saturation Co-efficient: between 0.60 and 0.66
- Apparent Density: between 2050 kg/m3 and 2200 kg/m3

Materials must be of the Select Clear Buff grade, meaning that the product is free of cracks and fractures, seams, or any other imperfection which may impair its structural integrity, function or long term performance. The material must also be free of excessive iron deposition along bedding plans, colour variation, pinholes or vents, or any other characteristic that would impair its appearance or long term performance.
 
Materials must be provided in three categories:  Quarry Block, Slabbed ‘A’ Quarry Block, and Slabbed ‘B’ Quarry Block.

- Quarry Block:  refers to stone blocks as removed from the quarry face, and having average volume between 90 and 100 cubic feet.
- Slabbed ‘A’ Quarry Block:  refers to Quarry Block slabbed with a bed depth of at least 16" but not more than 20".
- Slabbed ‘B’ Quarry Block:  refers to Quarry Block slabbed with a bed depth of at least 20" but not more than 40".

Materials must be extracted from the Quarry by drilling, sawing, feathering, and wedging.  No blasting permitted as part of the extraction process.  Stone block must be cured for sufficient time to ensure that cracking, or any other deficiency resulting from insufficient curing shall not be present in the stone. Slabbing will take place at the Quarry or the stone cutting plant, and all Quarry Blocks must be slabbed cross grain (cut lines must be made perpendicular to bedding planes).

The interested supplier must be capable of supplying the following services: quarrying, slabbing, splitting, fabrication, hand cutting and tooling, carving, statuary, storage, drafting and design, delivery, and brokerage coordination. 

The Supplier shall provide a total quantity of 10,000 to 15,000 cubic ft of Select Clear Buff Berea sandstone:
- over a period of not more than ten years;
- comprising not less than 500 cubic ft of raw Quarry Block annually;
- comprising not less than 1750 cubic ft of Slabbed ‘A’ Quarry Block annually;
- comprising not less than 1750 cubic ft of Slabbed ‘B’ Quarry Block annually.

The following standards and codes apply to the materials:
- ASTM c 97-02: Test Methods for Absorption and Bulk Specific Gravity of Dimension Stone.
- ASTM c 119-04: Terminology Relating to Dimension Stone
- ASTM c 616: Standard Specification for Quartz-Based Dimension Stone
- ASTM C99 Test Method for Modulus of Rupture of Dimension Stone 
- ASTM C170 Test Method for Compressive Strength of Dimension Stone

Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement: 

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s) 
- Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) OR Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier:
 
Select Clear Buff Berea Sandstone has been supplied to Public Services and Procurement Canada for repair works since the late 1970s. Stone from the Berea formation in Ohio meets the requirements for known future constructions and renovation projects. Stone supplied from Cleveland Quarries meets the designated standards enumerated above and adheres to quality quarrying, production and management techniques and capabilities. The colour matching, suitability, and durability of the stone complies with PSPC’s requirement to ensure compatibility alongside comparable and completed renovation projects within a distinct geographic location. 

Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s): 

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work".

Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons: 

The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA): Article 513 1(b) (v).to ensure compatibility with existing goods, or to maintain specialized goods that must be maintained by the manufacturer of those goods or its representative.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA):  Article1016 (b), where, for works of art, or for reasons connected with the protection of patents, copyrights or other exclusive rights, or proprietary information or where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists. 

Period of the proposed contract or delivery date: 
The proposed contract is for a period of 5 years, from January 2018 to December 2023. The contract will include options to extend the contract period by two two-year periods, followed by one one-year period until December 2028. 

Name and address of the pre-identified supplier:
Cleveland Quarries
5270 Devon Drive,
Vermillion, Ohio
44089-1530
USA

Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities: 

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods and services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities: 

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is February 5th, 2018. 

Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities:

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Caitlin Stone
Supply Specialist
222 Queen Street, Suite 1401
Telephone: 613-990-4011
E-mail: caitlin.stone@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting officer identified above.

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority may then proceed with the award.  However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this Notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.

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

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.