Large Binocular Telescope

LBT Project Office/USA
Steward Observatory
The University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721-0065 USA
TELEPHONE: 1 520 626-5231
FAX: 1 520 626-9333

LBT Project Office/Italy
Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri
Largo Enrico Fermi, 5
50125 Firenze, ITALY
TELEPHONE: 39 055 2752291
FAX: 39 055 2752292

January 11, 2001

Addressee

Dear:

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) Project Office, on behalf of the Large Binocular Telescope Corporation (LBTC), invites you to submit a proposal for Telescope Packing & Transportation for the LBT from Italy to Arizona. We anticipate releasing the complete Request for Proposals on 22 January 2001 including a description of the project, the technical documentation for the components to be transported, and the instructions on how to submit the Proposal. As a successful prequalifier, these documents will be sent to you in paper form.

Request for Proposal documents, technical specifications and drawings may also be found on the world wide web at URL:    http://abell.as.arizona.edu/~hill/rfp

A pair of pre-proposal conferences are planned to give potential suppliers better insight into the details of the packing and transportation of these special telescope pieces. Successful bidders should plan to send representatives to both of the two pre-proposal meetings.

The first meeting will be held on 01 February 2001 at the Ansaldo Energia factory in Milan, Italy to inspect the telescope parts to be shipped. The telescope structure is now being pre-erected at that location. The meeting will start at 10AM near the telescope at the Ansaldo Energia factory at 336 Viale Sarca. Contact Mr. Luciano Miglietta (LBT Project Office/Italy, migliett@arcetri.astro.it) for local details. Technical representatives of the LBT Project will be present to answer questions on the details of packing and transporting the large telescope pieces.

A second meeting will be held on Mt. Graham near Safford, Arizona, USA on 14 February 2001 to inspect the narrow mountain road over which some parts must be delivered. The meeting will start at the Mt. Graham International Observatory Base Camp at 9AM, and will include at trip to the 10500 foot summit of Emerald Peak where the enclosure of the LBT is under construction (bring winter clothes). The MGIO Base Camp is located at 1480 W. Swift Trail (AZ Hwy 366) in Safford, Arizona. Contact Ms. Carol Evans (LBT Project Office/USA, cevans@as.arizona.edu) for local details.

 We appreciate your interest in the project and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

John M. Hill
Director, LBT Project


The University of Arizona
The Ohio State University
Research Corporation
Germany
Italy