Attachment 7 Industry Questions and Answers (RFI).pdf

PROJECT: USDA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE

USDA/ARS CONTRACT #12805B22R0005

Fire Alarm Replacement RFI – Questions and Answers Date - March 29, 2022

NOTE: Revised Bid Drawings have been uploaded.

1. Can drawings be provided for the following items?

• Locations of the access control panels

FAAP – see Fire Alarm design drawings sheet FA103, room 055 Lobby FACP -see Fire Alarm design drawings sheet FA102, room 173 Communication FATC – see Fire Alarm design drawings sheet FA101, room 104 Mechanical

• HVAC plans for Duct Detectors that will be replaced and added.

Fire Alarm design bid drawings revised to show existing duct smoke detectors and associated HVAC units.

• Please provide a drawing for the tunnel leading from building 24 to the Energy Building.

See provided drawing “B24 Structural sheet 2.91”. Utilities in the tunnel include NG, CWS, CWR, fire sprinkler supply, HWS, HWR, electrical and communication.

• Provide drawings for all fire sprinkler risers (Flows and Tampers) See provided drawing “B24 Fire Protection”

• Drawing for all damper locations See provided “Fire Pneumatic Dampers” drawing. All dampers are labeled “FD”.

• Door holder locations See Fire Alarm design bid drawings:

FA103, Door between corridor 100 and 110 FA103, Door between corridor 100 and 210 FA102, Door between corridor 510 and 600 FA102, Door between corridor 610 and 600

2. Who will be the AHJ and doing the final acceptances for this project?

TTU Fire Marshall and Setty to provide final acceptance.

3. How will the wall patching from the removal of the old devices need to be done?

Provide and install stainless steel cover plates.

4. Will the existing conduit need to be demoed?

The design intent is to provide new fire alarm wiring and conduit. Existing conduit that is accessible (located on exterior walls and above ceilings) to be demoed. Conduit that is not demoed shall be capped and labeled as “Abandoned in Place” with proper identification label at both capped ends.

5. Please clarify initiating devices in the Green Houses and the cold storage rooms?

What is shown would not be applicable for these locations. Due to weather and humidity the smoke detectors will turn into a very problematic maintenance burden with false alarms.

Smoke detectors located in green houses and cold rooms have been removed from the design. See revised Fire Alarm design bid drawings.

6. Per the SAM.GOV web site Line – “Classifications” Original Set Aside: Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Will this be enforced?

This contract is set aside for total small business in accordance with the solicitation provisions and clauses.

7. Per the drawings. In the utility halls the drawings are showing Heat and Smoke detection through out. Will both be required in these areas?

Smoke detectors in the utility halls have been removed. See revised Fire Alarm design bid drawings.

8. Do the facilities the work is to take place in have any special background processes that all personnel must undergo prior to being on site? Are there any special COVID-19 provisions for site access and while on site?

All visitors must sign in and have temperature taken. Currently facemask are not required due to County COVID transmission levels being at a Low to Medium Risk. Postings will be at all entry doors notifying visitors of Mask wearing requirements if any. If County Covid transmission levels change to high risk all signs will be changed at doors notifying visitors to wear facemask and to social distance.

9. Please confirm the government is responsible for moving any equipment in the way of work areas.

Facilities will move any equipment needed for the contractor to gain access to work locations.

10. Is the contractor responsible for providing their own temporary restrooms or can they use the building facility’s?

Being that the work is being completed inside we are fine with contractors using restrooms in the Administration area. We want the contractors to be mindful and take consideration of not tracking construction debris throughout the building and to have a plan of action in place to leave time for a reasonable daily cleanup if needed.

11. Regarding the contract period of performance (POP) of 150 calendar days from award date. Is the USDA amenable to changing the start date of the POP to acceptance of material/equipment submittals or proposed equipment delivery date? The current performance period may not be feasible due to lead times on equipment and the equipment cannot be ordered until after government acceptance. The concern is the performance period could be consumed just during the submittal and equipment acquisition process and not leave enough time for installation.

The contract period of performance will remain unchanged. “If” there are manufacturers delays an extension may be requested in accordance with applicable FAR clauses, as with any construction contract.

12. Please confirm the USDA will provide a project exemption certificate and that the project will be tax exempt.

The USDA is willing to endorse/sign any presented tax-exempt certification from the state of Texas. The USDA will not however do any leg work or research on this process or what needs to be done to obtain one, that effort will be required of the contractor.

13. Please confirm work can be completed during normal business hours. Some tasks are likely to produce noise that could be a nuisance to USDA site personnel.

Yes

14. Is the contractor to turn decommissioned devices over to the government once removed?

No

15. Does the government currently have funding for this project?

Yes

16. There are three (3) penthouse rooms located on the property that currently are sprinkled only. Do notification devices need to be added to these areas?

Notification devices and smoke detector will be added in 3 penthouse rooms.

17. Building 22 has three (3) greenhouses with a weatherproof smoke to be installed. Can we substitute a heat detector in place of the smoke? Heat detectors are less susceptible to the elements.

Smoke detectors have been removed from the design in the greenhouses. See revised Fire Alarm design bid drawings.

18. Cold Storage spaces are currently sprinkled, do you want us to penetrate through the refrigerator type box to install a smoke?

Smoke detectors in Cold storage spaces are not required and will be removed.

19. A pull station is shown to be installed in the vestibule of Lobby 055. The vestibule is all glass.

Can it be moved to the nearest sheet rocked wall for installation?

Pull station has to be provided within the vestibule. Pull station can be mounted on mullion or on perimeter brick column/wall at both corner of the vestibule. Pull stations shall be mounted within 5ft of the door opening.

20. Wall space is congested at the current location of fire alarm panel. Will we have access to other areas in the building to put the new panel or will there be room made for the new panel?

New panel can be placed on the east wall in the same room.

21. There is no depiction of where the current NAC extender panels are located. What rooms will be utilized to place the new NAC Extender panels?

NAC panels may not be required. If required, we need to field coordinate a location for the panel.

22. In the areas with hard walls (area 100 and 200 building 24) will a cover plate be sufficient once old wall mounted device has been removed?

Provide and install stainless steel cover plates.

23. Please clarify what you are wanting in a Fire alarm Terminal Cabinet.

The intent is to consolidate the circuits in building 22 and avoid running multiple circuits to

FACP

24. How will the panel be monitored for fire dispatching?

Fire alarm shall be monitored by monitoring agency as stated on the documents.

25. Drawings shows SLC and NAC as Class B wiring on Plans. Specification calls for Class A as the preferred wiring method. How should we proceed?

Fire alarm system wiring shall be Class A

26. HVAC Mechanical Contractor needs access to view the dampers for location, size and accessibility. Will we be able to go out prior to bid date to view this in order to complete our proposal?

See provided “Fire Pneumatic Dampers” drawing. All dampers are labeled “FD”.

27. Drawing FA101 shows weatherproof spot type smoke detectors located in building 22 greenhouses 107, 108 and 117. By design a smoke sensor has an unsealed chamber allowing for the entry of smoke particles for detection. As such there are no UL listed weatherproof smoke detectors available for use on this system. Can exterior rated conventional heat detectors be substituted in the greenhouses, monitored by addressable input modules mounted in workspace 106?

Smoke detectors have been removed from the design. See revised Fire Alarm design bid

28. Drawing FA102 shows a heat detector to be mounted above the FACP in communication room 173. A smoke detector is required in the area of the FACP per NFPA 72. Is there any reason that it would not be acceptable to install a combination smoke / heat detector in room 173?

Heat detector has been replaced with smoke detector. See revised Fire Alarm design bid

29. Can a current system program report exported from the existing Notifier fire alarm system be provided? A point list should identify the type and number of existing devices to remain that are required to be monitored by addressable monitor interface/relay modules per drawing FA501, General Note 7.

See provided July 8, 2021 inspection report titled USDA Non Addressable List 07.08.21.

30. Specification section 1.4.B.11 requires duct detectors to be shown accurately in relation to facility ductwork. Can a mechanical drawing be provided showing the location of all existing duct detectors in order to meet requirements?

Fire Alarm drawings revised to show existing duct smoke detectors and associated HVAC units. See revised Fire Alarm design bid drawings.

31. Can an air handler schedule showing CFM ratings for each unit be provided in order to confirm duct detector requirements throughout the facility?

See below schedule.

32. Are existing system duct detectors 4-wire conventional units or addressable Notifier sensors? If existing are Notifier addressable duct detectors, they will not be compatible with the acceptable manufacturer fire-alarm control units listed in spec section 2.4.A.

New compatible duct smoke detectors are now shown and shall be provided to replace existing duct smoke detectors. See revised Fire Alarm design bid drawings.

33. Specification section 2.6.D.2 requires that each duct detector be accessible form the fire alarm control panel to view current status values including primary status, device type, sensitivity, present value and sensor range. Any existing ductwork smoke detectors to remain and be connected to the new addressable fire alarm system per drawing FA501, General Note 3 will not be capable of satisfying spec section 2.6.D.2.

New compatible duct smoke detectors are now shown and shall be provided to replace existing duct smoke detectors. See revised Fire Alarm design bid drawings.

34. Drawing FA501 note 9 states that all sound masking, white noise, public address and similar systems must be deactivated by the fire alarm system when an alarm is initiated by the fire alarm system. Please provide the number and location of systems requiring deactivation so that an accurate number of addressable relay modules can be provide for shutdown.

One PA system exists – control is in lobby and also accessible through any VoIP phone in building.

35. Specification section 2.14.A states that a “Printer shall be listed and labeled as an integral part of fire-alarm system.” Neither the fire alarm symbol list, general notes or sheet key notes on the provided drawing sheets FA001 through FA501 detail a requirement for a fire alarm system printer. Is a printer required as fire alarm system component on this project?

The printer is not necessary and will be removed. The data from the control panel can be acquired manually if needed. See revised Fire Alarm design bid drawings.

36. Can you send out a copy of the last full fire alarm inspection?

See provided July 8, 2021 inspection report titled “USDA Non Addressable List 07.08.21.”

37. Can new pull stations be surface mounted? The existing pull stations are flush mounted and existing conduit is within the block walls. The block walls extend to the roof. Another option would be to use fire rated cable not in conduit that could be fished down the block and the new station would be flush mounted.

Surface mounted pull stations are acceptable.

38. Per the spec junction boxes are to have wire terminals in them for connections. Are you sticking with this requirement?

Yes

39. Definitely lead calcium batteries or would you accept lead acid? Lead Calcium is a special order battery and they are almost always replaced with lead acid when service is required on them.

Provide lead calcium batteries.