Questions Received and Government Answers 13May2024.pdf

Questions Received on RFP 12048924R0017 Umpqua National Forest Road Failure Construction Repairs as of 05/10/2024

Question 1 (Apr 15) Incumbent Information:

• Could you please provide the name of the incumbent contractor?

• What is the current contract number?

• What is the total value of the current contract?

Answer No incumbent, Not Applicable. This is a brand-new construction requirement.

Question 2 (Apr 15) Could you highlight 3 key factors the evaluation team will prioritize when reviewing proposals?

Answer Evaluation team will focus on the factors listed in Section L - pg. 52- 53 of the RFP.

Question 3 (Apr 18) How do we submit bonds and bid documents?

Answer Email contract specialist, jennifer.labarge@usda.gov

Question 4 (Apr 22) In Section L where it references the submittal format it has (4) (b) “ Submit shop drawings, submittals, material certifications or testing reports.” Can you clarify what this is referring to as these type of submittals are not usually part of the bid process?

Answer Ignore this bullet in Section L, it has been deleted. See Amendment 0001.

Question 5 (Apr 23) Will this be a publicly opened bid?

Answer No, this will not be publicly opened. The Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer will be opening bids, then offers will be reviewed by the technical team. Please do not confuse any language about sealed bidding on the front page of the SF 1442 – that is a section that is required to be filled out but does not mean sealed bids need to be submitted.

Question 6 (Apr 29) How long will the bid review take before bid results of successful bidder are posted?

Answer This will depend on how many bids we receive, competing priorities and review timelines. The government expects to make a best value award within roughly 30 days of receiving technically acceptable proposals.

mailto:jennifer.labarge@usda.gov

Question 7 (Apr 29) Section H – Special Contract Requirements H.2 Other Requirements – Prosecution of Work – Work Hour Limits – Work Item Limits, States Road 27 MP 3.42 site needs to happen in the spring and be open to public by June 1st, 2025. RD2700 MP 3.42 Plan Sheet 4 under General Notes – Roadway Closure and Temporary Traffic Control states the road must be opened up by July 1st. Can you let me know which is the correct date?

Answer Conflict acknowledged. – per FAR 52.215-8, contract clauses have precedence over other documents, exhibits, and attachments, so June 1 takes precedence.

Question 8 (Apr 29) Section H – Special Contract Requirements H.2 Other Requirements – Material Sources/Disposal (pg 30 of 60)

– Disposal Areas shown on plans are for clearing, grubbing and excavation materials only. Plan sheets 4 for both RD2700 MP 3.42 and FR3114 MP 2.24 under General Notes – Waste Area – Vegetation is not allowed in the waste area pit. Can clearing and grubbing waste be disposed of at the waste areas?

Answer For the Road 2700 MP 3.42: Vegetation must be disposed of according to Subsection 203.05 (a), per pay item 20101. The disposal note on Sheet 4 of Plans for RD 3114 MP 2.24 is incorrect. Ignore/delete from this note the word “Vegetation.” For both 3114 project sites, pay items 20101 directs stumps to be removed to the designated locations – the disposal sites identified in those plans. Otherwise, scatter the slash & tops, and deck the logs.

Question 9 (Apr 29) Plan Sheets 6 for both RD2700 MP 3.42 and FR3114 MP 2.24 Method of Measurement and Basis of Payment

– State no separate measurement will be made for the structure excavation and backfill. However, there are bid items for Structure Excavation and Select Granular Backfill for both those sites. Can you clarify the measurement and payment for these items?

Answer The pay items for those items are Lump Sum or Contract Quantities. For contract quantities, the quantity to be paid is the quantity listed in the bed schedule. Definitions for contract quantities and Lump Sum quantities may be found in FP-14 and FSSS subsection 109.02.

Question 10 (Apr 29) Section C.3 – Government Furnished – Road 27 Project Area – Item No. 0009 – Select Borrow – Black Creek Quarry. Item 0009 on the Bid Schedule is Select Granular Backfill, Compaction Method 1 (Imported Material). The Geotech Report for RD2700 mentions the Black Creek Quarry suitable for MSE Backfill if screened. If screened can the Black Creek Quarry be used for Bid Item – 0009 Select Granular Backfill, Compaction Method 1 (Imported Material) or is it limited to Select Borrow only?

Answer Black Creek Quarry may be used as a source for Select Granular Backfill. Change the table in Section C-3, for Item No. 0009 to include “Select Granular Backfill” in addition to “Select Borrow”.

Any Material generated from Black Creek Quarry may be used as Select Granular Backfill, provided it meets the gradation requirements of FSSS 704.08, Table 704-2, and (if any) additional requirements of the Contractor Designed Retaining wall. Government accepts that the quality requirements of section 704.04 are met.

Question 11 (Apr 29) FR3114 MP 2.24 Plan sheet 6 states a Min Vertical/Horizontal Embedment 3’ into Rock. Plan sheet 7 states a Min 4’ Embedment Vertical/Horizontal. Which is correct?

Answer On Sheet 6, the 3’ embedment is into rock. Where bedrock is not encountered in the excavation, then the 4’ embedment applies – the 4’ embedment is into soil.

Question 12 (Apr 25) Is an active Oregon Class A license required to submit a bid for this project?

Answer It is not required for submitting a bid, but we anticipate that multiple personnel with this license will be needed for project activities such as equipment mobilization and material hauling.

Question 12 (Apr 25) Is an active Oregon Class A license required to submit a bid for this project?

Answer It is not required for submitting a bid, but we anticipate that multiple personnel with this license will be needed for project activities such as equipment mobilization and material hauling.

Question 13 (May 5) Guard rail will be a large expense with the MSE wall. will they be required on the RSS wall?

Answer There is no requirement for a guardrail on the RSS structure. The plans for the MSE Wall, (Rd 27) don’t explicitly require a guardrail either, only markers. We are requiring stamped drawings, and the design firms may not stamp the drawings and assume some liability for designing a wall without the guardrail. In short though – no requirement for a guardrail on the RSS.

Question 14 (May 5) Also RD 2700 needs to be open by june 1? I assume this in 2025 because the MSE wall submittal requires 90 days to review. Can you please verify?.

Answer There may be some discrepancies in opening dates listed for RD 2700 in the attachments and the solicitation.

Solicitation/contract takes precedence, please abide by June 1, 2025.

Question 15 (May 7) In the Section J document there is a table of Standard FP -14 spec numbers and some of them are greyed out.

The information related to these are not included in this document. Where would I find this information to review? An example is #255- Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls. This line is greyed out and not included in the FSSS document.

Answer The document referenced must be the list specifications. Those greyed out lines are for specifications that do not have Forest Service Supplemental Specifications (FSSS.) The Standard FP-14 specifications are what apply, without any changes by FSSS.

Question 16 (May 10) Do we have the specs- for the wire for the reinforced slope?

Answer Specs for the reinforcement are FP-14 Subsection 714.04. Document also states "See Section 257 for Contractor-designed reinforce soil slope systems." Implied is that there will be some responsibility for the design from the contractor and their supplier.

Note: Red, bold, italicized text – edits may need to be made.