The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is issuing a Sources Sought Announcement for repairs to the breakwater in Bar Harbor, Maine.  This announcement is to determine the interest, availability, and capability of Small and Large Business concerns for this project.  The NAICS code for this procurement is 237990 with a size standard of $45M.  The contract solicitation is planned to be issued in the fall of 2025 with construction to take place over an 8-month period beginning in the spring of 2026. The estimated construction cost is between $10,000,000 and $25,000,000.

The proposed work consists of repairing the rubblemound breakwater which extends approximately 2400 feet southwest from Bald Porcupine Island and across Porcupine Dry Ledge towards Mount Desert Island. Bald Porcupine Island is located about one mile southeast of the main Bar Harbor waterfront on Mount Desert Island. The work includes dismantling, removing, stockpiling, reworking and reinstalling existing armor stone as well as acquiring and installing new armor in the breakwater repair areas. The repaired areas must be properly interlocked and be within specified design tolerances.

The breakwater is about 2400 feet in length, however, the repair area will on encompass the 750-foot section between Bald Porcupine Island and Porcupine Dry Ledge (Repair Zone 1), as well as, 700 feet of the breakwater beyond Dry Ledge (Repair Zone 2).  The repairs will restore the structure to a design top elevation of +11.4 feet at Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW), with a crest width of 10 feet. Repair Zone 1 will have slopes of 1.5:1 and in Repair Zone 2 the slopes will be 1:1 leeward and 1.5:1 seaward. The breakwater was initially constructed between 1889 and 1917 and no repairs have occurred since construction was completed. The breakwater protects an anchorage and the wharves in Bar Harbor from easterly and southeasterly swells. The protected area is used by cruise ships, commercial/charter fishing boats, and recreational vessels.  Bald Porcupine Island and Porcupine Dry Ledge are uninhabited and are owned by the National Park Service.

Repair Zone 1, between Bald Porcupine Island and Porcupine Dry Ledge, is comprised of 3 to 10-ton armor stone and is in poor condition. An estimated 8,400 tons of new 6 to 10-ton armor stone will be needed to repair this breakwater.  

Repair Zone 2, southwest of Porcupine Dry Ledge, is comprised of 3 to 10-ton armor stone and is in fair condition. An estimated 4,600 tons of new 6 to 10-ton armor stone will be needed to repair this breakwater. 

New 6 to 10-ton armor stone will also be required to repair about six small areas outside Repair Zone 1 and 2.

Some relevant information for the new armor stone:

• New armor stones sizes: 6-10 tons
• New stone unit weight: at least 162 pounds per cubic foot. A six ton stone is approximately 5ft x 5ft x 3ft and a 10 ton stone is approximately 6ft x 5ft x 4ft.
• Maximum aspect ratio (greatest dimension:least dimension): not greater than 3:1.
• New stone shape: irregular and angular. No slabs, rounded stones or wedged-shaped stones.
• Lab testing required: specific gravity, unit weight, absorption, and freeze/thaw.
• Field testing required: drop test.

Specific work tasks are intended to reconstruct severely deteriorated areas of the breakwater to its authorized dimensions. These tasks include the recovery and resetting of displaced armor stone, and delivery and installation of approximately 10,000 to 14,000 tons of new 6 to 10-ton armor stone.  Existing gaps in the structures will be filled, and the structures brought up to their design elevations, crest widths and slopes.  Repairs will require substantial moving and rehandling of existing stones to obtain the required interlocking placement and construction tolerances.

The completed repairs will provide a crest width of 10 feet and crest elevation of 11.4 feet at MLLW. Repair Zone 1 will have slopes of 1.5:1 and in Repair Zone 2 the slopes will be 1:1 leeward and 1.5:1 seaward.  Given the nature and characteristics of this structure, it is anticipated that all repair and improvement construction activities will have to be performed from marine based plant. Access to the breakwater by land is unavailable and no work should be completed from the crest of the breakwater. Environmental coordination and permitting is being completed by the U.S. Army of Engineers, New England District. Low tide water depths in the vicinity of the structure range from 12 to 50 feet, and the average tidal range is approximately 11 feet. No spudding or anchoring into the existing structure is permitted.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is looking for responses to the questions below from BOTH SMALL AND LARGE BUSINESSES:<