Overview
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) invites solutions to advance automated airfield pavement inspection capabilities for military installations. This effort aims to reduce reliance on subjective visual inspections and evaluate technologies that can enhance pavement condition assessments, resource planning, and operational readiness.
Background
ERDC has actively investigated commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) inspection technologies to determine their viability for inspecting military airfield pavements. Recent ERDC research has published literature about automated pavement condition survey systems. While advanced automated tools present a potential solution for efficient maintenance, prior ERDC research identified a significant capability gap, concluding that existing systems are inadequate for airfield inspections. Further research is necessary to validate whether emerging automated technologies can shift from subjective visual to automated surveys. For the Army, a successful outcome will directly enhance mission readiness through faster airfield availability and rapid deployment support. It will also shift the force to a predictive maintenance model, optimizing resources, reducing lifecycle costs, and increasing aviation safety, solidifying ERDC’s role as the Army’s leader in advanced transportation infrastructure assessment.
Project Objective
The objective of this prototype project is to evaluate automated pavement inspection technologies that can improve airfield pavement assessments, optimize engineering resources, and enhance operational readiness in support of evolving Army mission requirements.
Project Manager
Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
Requirements
ERDC is seeking offerors who manufacture automated pavement inspection technologies with capabilities to meet or demonstrate the following requirements:
- Accuracy:
- Tier 1: Technology’s ability to correctly identify and classify pavement distress types (e.g. longitudinal cracking, weathering, and spalling) and their severity (low, medium, and high) in accordance with ASTM 5340.
- Tier 2: Technology’s ability to correctly calculate the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for airfield pavement inspections.
- Reliability: The consistency and repeatability of the technology’s results compared to traditional PCI ratings performed by human experts.
- Efficiency: The speed at which technology can survey an airfield and process the data to produce actionable results, thereby reducing runway downtime.
- Operational Suitability: Technology’s effectiveness in both standard (well-maintained) and contingency (damaged or unfamiliar) airfield scenarios.
- Limitations: Technology’s ability to withstand extreme conditions, often characterized in Army’s operating environment, such as high temperatures, extreme cold, humidity, terrain toughness, dust, water, etc.
Offerors must be capable of demonstrating their technology’s ability to survey a pre-defined pavement section that has also been manually inspected by certified PCI experts. Offerors must also perform the following:
- Analyze and compare the automated system’s output directly against the expert baseline PCI.
- Establish a baseline PCI rating for the test section using traditional, expert-led visual inspection methods.
- Capacity to deploy their system to collect data from the same test section.
- Capacity to process collected data and provide a detailed report, including identified distress types, severities, and calculated PCI value.
Applicants must be registered on SAM.gov. Submissions should NOT include confidential or proprietary details.
Estimated Government Funding Profile
Funding of up to $2,000,000 may be awarded under this effort.The government anticipates fully funding the prototype project upon award.
More than one solution may be awarded within the limits of this funding profile. The government may fund portions of several offered solutions to achieve the desired end state.
The USACE, ERDC is using competitive procedures to select participants in a prototype transaction under Title 10 U.S.C 4022. If the prototype is determined successful, agencies may exercise authority under 10 U.S.C 4022 to provide for, and award, a follow-on production transaction or FAR based contract without additional competitive procedures.
Estimated Period of Performance
The estimated period of performance for a prototype is 24 months post field demonstration and evaluation. The final duration within this range is contingent upon potential vendors’ technology meet the specific technical objective and requirements.
Given that this represents a rapidly needed capability for field operations, the development timeframe is critical.
Expected Result
This effort supports Army mission readiness, aviation safety, and rapid deployment capabilities by advancing automated airfield pavement assessments. Successful implementation will enable more predictive maintenance practices, optimize engineering resources, and reduce lifecycle costs.
Evaluation Criteria
White papers will be reviewed based on an integrated assessment of the following:
- The degree to which the solution meets the requirements of the desired objectives.
- The degree to which the potential delivery schedule meets the government’s stated period of performance.
- The review of potential impacts of the data rights assertions.
- The review of whether the white paper sufficiently demonstrates 1) significant participation by Non-Tranditional Defense Contractors (NDCs) or significant participation by non-profit research institutions, 2) all significant participants in the transaction other than the Federal Government are small businesses, or 3) at least one-third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by parties other than the Federal Government.
Notional Project Schedule
Proposed project milestones include:
| September 1, 2026 | Project Announced, Submissions Open |
| October 8, 2026 | Question Period Ends |
| October 15, 2026 | Submissions Close |
| October 15-30, 2026 | Evaluation Period, Virtual Pitch Hosted (if needed) |
| November 2026 | In-Person Pitch and Demonstration Hosted |
| December 2026 | Selected Participants Notified by ERDC of Request for Full Proposal |
*If needed; dates may vary to accommodate project team and participant availability. The government may accelerate the pre-proposal review/feedback timeline, and therefore also require earlier delivery of full proposals.
Project Security Classification
Unclassified
How to Participate
1. Review the complete solicitation
2. Review FAQs
3. Once the white paper is ready to submit, complete the submission form
Questions: Please send all technical and administrative questions using this form. FAQs will be updated periodically. It is the responsibility of the offeror to review FAQs prior to submitting.
Submissions must meet stated requirements and be received no later than 5:00 pm CT on October 15, 2026.
Submissions should NOT include confidential or proprietary details. Submissions will be reviewed by ERDC/government subject matter experts and may be shared as appropriate with other ERDC parties. The government has the authority to decline all submitted proposals. The government does not plan to engage in the debrief process outlined in FAR part 15, but will provide feedback to unsuccessful offerors as appropriate and at its discretion.
ERDC seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Academia, and National Lab partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated. As such, this project is considered competitive in the same manner as a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) or Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), and solutions will be evaluated independently of one another primarily for technical merit. Notice: IAW 10 U.S.C. 4022(f), a follow-on, noncompetitive, Production OT may be awarded following the successful completion of a Prototype OT.