Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2025-06-26
Buyer: Rogaland fylkeskommune
Country: NO
Region: NO0A1
Contract type: Works
Procedure: Other single
CPV classification: 45000000: Construction work | 45221000: Engineering works for bridges and tunnels | 45221100: Bridge construction works | 45221119 | 73000000

Technical requirements: Rogaland county would like to implement a research and development project together with Module Solutions Systems (MSS) for change of plates for bridges with a 100% composite system. 
This has never been done for vehicle bridges in Norway, and the aim of the project is to have the systems tested on several different bridge spans. Support has been sought from Innovasjon Norway the project and the application is being processed.
The engineering design and execution of these bridges will form a foundation for standardisation of systems certified by the Directorate of Public Roads, which can be used by counties and municipalities nationwide. This will mean that the time for carrying out the necessary upgrades is considerably reduced, it becomes more sustainable (both in the form of material choices, increased reuse and reduced work, detouring, lifting etc.) and not to mention reduces the need for future maintenance.

Description of the procurement: 
The background for the project is that a large number of Norwegian bridges have damage that increases the risk of traffic. Replacing these bad bridge plates with traditional methods is both expensive and time consuming. The current measures are often ineffective due to limited upgrading resources. Complete improvements are simply too expensive and time consuming.
Composite plate replacement eliminates many of these problems.
1. Lower weight: Composite materials have significantly lower self-weight compared to traditional concrete slabs. This makes it easier to document reuse of the existing substructure and it can open for classification or expansions. Lower weight also means that smaller cranes can be used, which is advantageous on narrow roads with weight limitations.
2. Prefabricating: Composite bridges come prefabricated from the factory, eliminating the need to acquire or hire areas for casting the bridge plate. This reduces the time at the construction site, saves rigging and operation costs, and minimises traffic disadvantages.
3. Flexibility in design: Composite plates can be designed identically with concrete slabs and can have spans of up to 15 metres for a full Euro code load. They can be coated with asphalt elite layers to ensure normal operation of the road, or a lighter thin cover can be chosen for further weight reduction.
4. Transport and assembly: The size of the composite covers can be adapted to transport limitations and the entire plate can be delivered complete or joined in the longitudinal direction.
5. Sustainability: Our recent projects show a CO2 savings compared with concrete of more than 50% and steel of over 70% if the bridge superstructure is produced in composite.
6. Maintenance free: The composite plate is almost maintenance free and will not be corroded or degraded.

Explanation 

The Public Procurement Regulations §2-5 are as follows: 
§ 2-5. Exceptions for contracts for research and development services  
(1) The Procurement Act and regulations do not apply to contracts for research and development services.  
(2) The Procurement Act and regulations will nevertheless apply for contracts covered by the CPV codes when a) the dividend fully accrues to the Contracting Authority for use in its activities, and b) the Contracting Authority fully pays for the service.

Regarding § 2-5, section 1 is the main aim of this project is research and development. Rogaland county believes that the engineering design and execution of these bridges will form the foundation for standardisation of systems approved by the Directorate of Public Roads, which can be used by counties and municipalities nationwide. This will mean that the time for carrying out the necessary upgrades is considerably reduced, it becomes more sustainable (both in the form of material choices, increased reuse and reduced work, detouring, lifting etc.) and not to mention reduces the need for future maintenance. RFK has also been in contact with Innovasjon Norway, who has confirmed that the project has sufficient innovation height to qualify as a research and development project. As regards § 2-5, section 2 a), the dividend of the project will to the same degree accrue to MSS as Rogaland County. RFK will get the physical bridges into the road network and MSS will be left with as well as IP in the form of ready-engineered systems and test results that MSS will be able to use in future projects. In the case of § 2-5, section 2 b), the project will be risk relieved with innovation resources from Innovation Norway, and RFK does not pay fully for the service alone.
Rogaland county would like to implement a research and development project together with Module Solutions Systems (MSS) for change of plates for bridges with a 100% composite system. 
This has never been done for vehicle bridges in Norway, and the aim of the project is to have the systems tested on several different bridge spans. Support has been sought from Innovasjon Norway the project and the application is being processed.
The engineering design and execution of these bridges will form a foundation for standardisation of systems certified by the Directorate of Public Roads, which can be used by counties and municipalities nationwide. This will mean that the time for carrying out the necessary upgrades is considerably reduced, it becomes more sustainable (both in the form of material choices, increased reuse and reduced work, detouring, lifting etc.) and not to mention reduces the need for future maintenance.

Description of the procurement: 
The background for the project is that a large number of Norwegian bridges have damage that increases the risk of traffic. Replacing these bad bridge plates with traditional methods is both expensive and time consuming. The current measures are often ineffective due to limited upgrading resources. Complete improvements are simply too expensive and time consuming.
Composite plate replacement eliminates many of these problems.
1. Lower weight: Composite materials have significantly lower self-weight compared to traditional concrete slabs. This makes it easier to document reuse of the existing substructure and it can open for classification or expansions. Lower weight also means that smaller cranes can be used, which is advantageous on narrow roads with weight limitations.
2. Prefabricating: Composite bridges come prefabricated from the factory, eliminating the need to acquire or hire areas for casting the bridge plate. This reduces the time at the construction site, saves rigging and operation costs, and minimises traffic disadvantages.
3. Flexibility in design: Composite plates can be designed identically with concrete slabs and can have spans of up to 15 metres for a full Euro code load. They can be coated with asphalt elite layers to ensure normal operation of the road, or a lighter thin cover can be chosen for further weight reduction.
4. Transport and assembly: The size of the composite covers can be adapted to transport limitations and the entire plate can be delivered complete or joined in the longitudinal direction.
5. Sustainability: Our recent projects show a CO2 savings compared with concrete of more than 50% and steel of over 70% if the bridge superstructure is produced in composite.
6. Maintenance free: The composite plate is almost maintenance free and will not be corroded or degraded.


Winner: Module Solutions & Systems