Brief
The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) is seeking to procure four steel-structured metabolic chambers for measuring the metabolism and respiratory gases of dairy cows in a new research dairy barn being built in Jokioinen. The current plan is for the research barn to be completed by the end of 2025, with delivery of the chambers occurring at that time. The schedule will be refined in spring 2025 once the construction plans are finalized. The procurement includes the construction and installation of the metabolic chambers according to the provided plans and descriptions. Attached to the request for proposals are the structural drawings of the chambers, material lists, and base plans for the research barn (including a reference floor plan, water and sewer lines, floor layout), general cross-section, and site plan in PDF and DWG formats. A more detailed description of the procurement is also included. The base plans for the research barn may still change, and there may be minor modifications and measurements to the structural drawings of the metabolic chambers later on. Any specific materials and work tasks not listed in this request for proposals but necessary to achieve the planned delivery scope and quality level must be included in the contract. Examples include welded hinges for doors, handles, seals, bolt materials, and wheels for manure collection boxes. The required amounts of film plywood and polycarbonate are calculated only as necessary surface areas. Separate fans and gas measurement devices will be installed in the metabolic chambers as an after-work process. The air entering the chambers must be controlled, and a reference air sample will be taken from the air entering the chambers for respiratory gas measurements. Additionally, the air inside the chambers must mix in a suitable manner for measurements, and the air must exit the chambers through the measuring devices. To ensure this, the structures affecting the indoor air space of the chambers must be airtight, and during studies, the chamber should be kept slightly under pressure when a cow is inside. The airtightness of the metabolic chambers will be checked visually and using smoke and higher air pressure to identify any potential leak points. The metabolic chambers are divided into two (2) separate parts. The frame parts will be connected during the installation phase at the research barn before the installation of the chamber floor, walls, and other parts. The chambers will be placed side by side in the metabolic chamber room (room 133 in the research barn's base plan), with a gap of approximately 20 cm between them. The exact location of the chambers in room 133 will be determined in collaboration with Luke's staff and, if necessary, the contractor during the installation phase, as their placement will depend on the location of the urine pits made in the room's floor. When a cow is inside the chamber, it will be positioned between the feeding area at the front and the manure grate at the back. The floor in the room (see the research barn's base plans) where the metabolic chambers will be placed slopes down from the center of the room towards both edges for drainage purposes. The chambers will be positioned in such a way that the manure box of the chambers is on the opposite side of the highest point in the room. The front legs of the metabolic chambers must be higher so that the slope of the floor inside the chamber is initially the same as the slope of the chamber room's floor. Due to the floor slopes, the exact measurement of the front legs of the chambers or the need for adjustable legs must be determined during the construction phase of the chambers to ensure they are securely placed and fixed to the floor.
