RFP 24RD006 Characterization of Brake Wear Emissions from Off-Road Vehicles

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit competitive proposals from experienced and qualified contractors to characterize brake wear particulate matter (PM) and gaseous emissions from off-road vehicles. The characterization will include emission factors (EF) dependent on engine operation conditions (e.g., revolutions per minute and torque) for off-road vocational vehicles and their chemical speciation characteristics. Emission measurement should be conducted in standardized laboratory test conditions that are repeatable for tests and reproducible for measurement results. The results of this study will inform the off-road emission inventory, air quality planning, and off-road emission reduction programs.

The Contractor shall develop brake-duty cycles for representative off-road vehicles in California, such as bulldozers, graders, loaders, dump trucks, harvesters, agricultural tractors, etc. In the development of the duty cycles, factors potentially correlated with brake wear emissions shall be accounted for, such as vocation type, vehicle weights, braking duration and events, brake system technologies, friction materials, etc. Real-time monitoring of PM2.5 and PM10 mass, total hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and relevant gaseous pollutant compounds during testing cycles will be conducted. PM filter samples for both gravimetric and a suite of chemical speciation and oxidative stress analyses shall be collected. Gaseous samples shall be collected for analyses of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAH). The Contractor shall formulate off-road vehicle type-specific and engine-load-dependent PM and gaseous emission factors and their chemical profiles. Deliverables will include fleet representative brake-duty cycles for off-road vehicles, real-time measurement results for both PM and gaseous emissions, emission factor and chemical analysis results, and a report compiling all the measurement and analysis results.

Written Questions Submittal Deadline: 02/06/2025 by 5:00 p.m.
Question and Answers Addendum Posted: 02/17/2025 by 5:00 p.m.
Final Date for Proposal Submission/Receipt by CARB: 03/10/2025 by 5:00 p.m.
Complete Evaluation of Proposals: 03/11/2025 ¿ 04/02/2025
Posting of Intent to Award Notice(s) (Notice is posted for five [5] business days): 04/03/2025
Agreement sent to successful Proposer: 04/11/2025
Signed Agreement returned to CARB for counter-signature: 04/14/2025
Agreement Approved and Executed ¿ work begins: 04/30/2025