A checklist of information that helps a bridge-grid RFQ produce a useful proposal.
A complete RFQ helps the manufacturer produce accurate, actionable proposals. This checklist summarizes the information typically required.
Why RFQ completeness matters
A bridge grid quote is only as good as the information behind it. When key items are missing, a manufacturer either fills the gaps with assumptions, which produces a number that changes later, or qualifies the proposal so heavily that it is hard to compare against anyone else's.
The checklist below is what lets us return a firm, comparable price with a real delivery commitment instead of a placeholder.
Project identification
- Project name, owner or agency, and contract or letting number
- Bridge location, structure number, and route carried
- Bid date, and the date the quote is needed
- Whether you are bidding as prime, subcontractor, or supplier
Deck scope
- Total deck area, by stage if the work is staged
- Grid system specified: open, half-filled, fully filled, or exodermic-style
- Grid depth and bar arrangement, if specified
- Stringer or floorbeam spacing and span arrangement
- Skew, cross slope, camber, and any horizontal or vertical curvature
- Whether the bridge is fixed or movable
Specifications and drawings
- Plan sheets covering the deck, framing, and typical sections
- Deck detail sheets, including curb, barrier, and joint interfaces
- The governing specification sections for the grid deck and welding
- Coating or galvanizing requirement and applicable standard
- Any state DOT qualified-fabricator or approval requirements
- Buy America or domestic content requirements
- Load rating basis or design loading, if it affects the deck
Associated items
- Barriers, curbs, railing attachments, or other fabricated steel included in the scope
- Shims, closure pieces, or field adjustment allowances anticipated
- Concrete fill: who furnishes and places it, and where
- Wearing surface, if any
- Skid treatment requirements for exposed steel surfaces
Schedule and delivery
- Required fabrication and delivery dates, and any staged delivery needs
- Closure windows or staging restrictions that drive the sequence
- Ship-to address, site access limitations, and receiving hours
- Who unloads, and available crane capacity and laydown area
- Submittal and approval durations assumed in your schedule
Commercial terms
- Quote format required, and whether unit prices or lump sum
- Payment terms, retainage, and bonding expectations
- Required certifications, mill test reports, and QC documentation
- Liquidated damages or delivery penalties that apply to the supplier
- Any exceptions or alternates you want priced
Sending the RFQ
Send the package to the bridge team with drawings and specifications attached, a link to a plan set is fine. If some items on this list are undecided, say so rather than omitting them; we will price the likely case and state the assumption clearly. Call (814) 497-5001 with anything you would rather work through by phone.
Need project-specific guidance on this topic? The MCS bridge team can walk through details, drawings, and options for your structure, call (814) 497-5001.