Large Capacity HotBox Testing Chamber

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering Research and Development Center – Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) in Champaign, IL has a requirement for a customized Hotbox chamber unit to be utilized for heat transfer measurement to increase testing capabilities for its 3D printing program.

Market research performed to date has found no commercially available, off the shelf items that meet the full set of requirements of the CERL research team, however it is anticipated that modifications to existing commercial products could be performed to achieve a product that fully conforms.

The chamber must be designed to allow for testing that follows the standards outlined in ASTM C-1363, DIN EN ISO 8990, DIN EN 1946-4, DIN EN 12412, DIN EN ISO 12567, and DIN EN 1934 for large homogeneous or non-homogeneous specimens. Capability modifications include those that will allow for testing to be performed on large components in a wide range of temperatures.

The unit needs to include both a hotbox side capable of achieving temperatures in the range of 60-130°F (10°C to 60°C), and a refrigerated side capable of a range of 5-100°F (-15°C to 40°C). In addition to the separate temperature-controlled sides, the unit shall include a test frame sandwiched between the sides that will hold samples through which heat transfer will be measured.

Both sides, and the test frame between the sides, must be large enough to allow for testing of components of walls, doors, and other 3D printed, concrete building materials that are up to 7 feet square (213 cm) and up to 1 foot 9 inches thick (53 cm). The weight capacity needs to accommodate sample sizes and materials up to 12,000 pounds. The apparatus will need to have data collection software for control, data logging and analysis for the test chambers to determine heat transfer properties.

ERDC-CERL seeks capability statements from prospective sources for supplying a hotbox test chamber that conforms to the specifications stated above. The capability statements should outline what types of testing chambers the company has manufactured and the extent of modifications that would be required to conform to the specifications listed above, both in scope and in duration (time to achieve). This is not a small business set aside, nor is it a request for competitive quotations.

Any interested party that believes they can fulfill this requirement should submit a capability statement to be reviewed by the date listed in this notice. All submissions will be considered. Please provide responses to this notice no later than the date and time listed above in this notice, to:

CERL-CT-QUOTES@usace.army.mil Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.