S01. Amendment 02 - Site Showing Statements & Questions 20210210.docx

PA433 Beaver Creek Dam Site Showing Statements/Questions and Answers Bid Opening Details Those wishing to participate in the bid opening by teleconference can participate by calling 1-888-844-9904, Access code 4401018. This line will be open to listen to the proceeding of the bid opening, registration is not necessary.

Insurance Requirements The work is to be performed on land and a structure not owned by NRCS, so there are additional insurance requirements related to the property and dam owners. The Contractor shall purchase and maintain such policy or policies of insurance as will protect from claims which may arise out of or result from the Contractor's performance under contract, whether such performance be by themselves or by any subcontractor, or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them, or by anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable. Such insurance shall name the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service as well as the agents, employees, directors and officers of Chester County Water Resources Authority and County of Chester as Additional Insured under the policy(ies).

Protection of HOA and Golf Course Infrastructure The asphalt pedestrian trail and golf course will not be closed during the project. The Contractor shall protect the trail at both access points, as well as drainage pipes under the gravel lane. The trail must be in a safe and usable condition for the community throughout the length of the project. If damaged, the trail must be reconstructed to existing use by the Contractor.

HOA Roads Norland Drive, and other roads in the Applecross community are private roads and are not open to vehicle use by the Contractor or for the delivery of materials.

Highway Occupancy Permit East Reeceville Road is a state road. CCWRA has a Highway Occupancy Permit for the gravel lane near Hole 1. The Contractor will need to submit to PennDOT for a construction entrance permit through their ePermitting System (EPS) for the access onto the crest of the dam across from Norland Drive.

Other local laws/ordinances It is the Contractors responsibility to determine what municipal laws or regulations are applicable and to comply with them, if any.

Pre-construction meeting A pre-construction meeting is to be conducted prior to the commencement of construction and must be scheduled with the COR. Other interested parties will also be invited to the pre-construction meeting, including Chester County Conservation District and PADEP. It is anticipated that this meeting will occur in June 2021.

Others access to Beaver Creek Dam In addition to NRCS, the Chester County Water Resources Authority and their contractors may need access to the dam and the two access drives. Additionally, East Brandywine Township, PADEP, and Chester County Conservation District all are allowed access to the site.

Co-permittee with CCWRA on NPDES Permit The Contractor will need to sign on as a co-permittee on the NPDES permit for the project issued by the Chester County Conservation District.

Utilities The contactor is required to perform a PA-One Call.

There are buried utilities along East Reeceville Road, although NRCS and CCWRA do not know exactly where or how deep.

Error in Description of Pre-Solicitation Notice There is no “sand diaphragm” to be constructed, that component was not included in the final design.

Other statements made onsite:

1) Bid bond of 20% of the bid is required; use Standard Form #24 (SF24).

2) Payment and performance bond at 100% of the bid amount is required from the successful bidder within 7 days of the bid award.

3) The line items on the bid sheet identified with an asterisk are quantities where VAR, Variation in Estimated Quantity, applies. The explanation of VAR is included in the note on the bid form.

4) Liquidated damages in the amount of $698.68 applies for each calendar day past the 501 calendar day period of performance from Notice to Proceed.

5) The start date for mobilization is August 1, but that it may begin earlier in July depending on whether any eaglets fledge earlier. NRCS will be in coordination with USFWS and the contractor to determine if mobilization may begin earlier than August 1.

6) Two construction seasons are allotted due to restrictions from US Fish and Wildlife Service related to nesting bald eagles. The contractor may complete the work in one construction season if preferred.

7) The Auxiliary Spillway RCC and Principle Spillway Riser work each must be completed in one construction season.

8) Markers placed for the site showing are the approximate location of selected items and are not surveyed locations. The contractor is responsible for survey and layout, as per CS 7 – Construction Surveys.

9) Survey control points are provided on the design drawings.

10) The contractor may propose alternative methods and sequencing, including foundation dewatering and diversion of surface water, to construct the riser than that shown in the design drawings. Any such modifications will be subject to review and approval by the COR.

11) The auxiliary spillway is to remain open with existing capacity throughout the life of this project. There is to be no staging or storage within the auxiliary spillway.

12) Sheet 4 of the drawings specify the overall estimated Drainfill (fine and course) quantities for the project. The Drainfill quantities on the bid sheet are less because Item 26 (Trench Drain) includes drainfill and is paid as foot of trench drain installed.

13) An updated bid schedule has been added to the Solicitation, with revised quantities for Drainfill.

14) Sheet 47 of the design drawings show where all non-metal material may be spoiled onsite.

15) Fence around paved areas may be removed but must be replaced in-kind at the completion of the project.

16) Submittals and shop drawings shall be submitted to the COR, not via ProjectMates as stated in the construction specification.

17) As per CS 94 – Contractor Quality Control, the contractor is responsible for developing a quality control plan.

18) The contractor does not need to provide a printer or ink cartridges for the job trailer, as specified in CS 96 – Field Office 5.a.(5).

19) The top of rock surface in the auxiliary spillway is variable and quantities provided are best estimates. Actual quantities may vary. The contractors should refer to the boring logs included in the design drawings for conditions encountered during drilling.

Questions asked during the site showing

1. Q) How will bid submission timing work with Email?

A) The emailed bid documents must be in Javier Carrillo’s inbox by 2:00 pm Eastern time (on his computer, Ft. Worth, TX) on the date that the bids are due. Instructions to submit bids by email to Javier.Carrillo@usda.gov can be found on page 47 of 49 of the solicitation document.

2. Q) What controls are in place to ensure that a Contractor’s emails are received?

A) It is the Contractors responsibility to ensure the bid documents are in Javier’s inbox by the stated due date. Refer to page 47 of 49 of the solicitation for instructions as to how to submit bids.

3. Q) Where should the RCC Plant be located?

A) The location is as per the Contractor. The location shall be shown in the parking and staging plan that is to be submitted to the COR for approval after the contract is awarded.

4. Q) Will there be any HEC-RAS or stream modeling provided to assist with to assess the dewatering and diversion of water efforts?

A) There is no stream modeling provided. The Contractor must follow the requirements specified in CS 11 - Removal of Water and in the design drawings. Information on the flood detention pool on 12/25/20 as well as a summary of flood pool elevations from 2003 to 2020, when there was a permanent pool, is provided for reference as an attachment to this amendment.

5. Q) Please clarify what is expected on the contractor who chooses to use the crest of the dam for vehicle access.

A) The drawing notes the contractor shall apply stabilization to the top of the dam per the typical access road detail on Sheet 52 if used for equipment access. The top of dam is to be restored to original conditions after completion of the project. Borings taken during drilling are provided as Sheets 55 to 63 in the plan set. These do not include the piezometer borings.

6. Q) Would the Contractor need to do something with the piezometer casings to allow access across the top of dam? Can the boring logs be provided for the borings on the crest of the dam?

A) Piezometer boring logs are provided as an attachment to this amendment. A plan to keep the piezometers protected from equipment would need to be submitted (after bid is awarded) to the COR by the contractor for review and approval. The dam owners will need access to the piezometers for monitoring.

7. Q) Can Contractors return to the site and look around after the bid site showing is complete.

A) No.

8. Q) Can the questions deadline be extended? A one week turnaround is too short for a project such as this.

A) The question deadline was extended to February 8, 2021. As a result, the deadline to submit bids was extended until March 1, 2021 at 2:00 PM.

9. Can the site superintendent also fill the SSHO role?

A) The site superintendent may also fill the role of the Site Safety & Health Official.

10. Is there a requirement for a separate QC person to be on site at all times during the project?

A) A QC person needs to be onsite for work being completed that requires testing and oversite as per the Contractor’s Approved Quality Control Plan, as referenced in Construction Specification 94 Quality Control.

11. The specifications indicate that a licensed PE must seal the diversion plan(s). Please confirm.

A) The Surface Water Diversion Plan will require a Pennsylvania Registered Professional Engineer’s Seal as per Construction Specification 11 Removal of Water [8.c.(6)(a) and (k)].

12. Aside from the water diversion design requirements, no other design requirements were found. Please confirm.

A) A Temporary Excavation Support Submittal is required as per Construction Specification 21 and must have a Registered PE seal as per CS 21 [10.g.(4)]. There are design requirements for the Contractors’ engineer to sign/seal for dewatering/groundwater control for the trench drain, as well as bracing/trench boxes for excavation on the embankment for the end sweep and the elimination of the 90-degree bends. There are other plans and documents that must be submitted by the contractor for CO and COR approval, as per the design and construction specifications, that are not necessarily design elements.

13. Please confirm that a water meter is not required to quantify the dewatering as the bid schedule calls for a lump sum fee.

A) A water meter is not required.

14. Regarding a temporary borrow area for materials for cofferdam fill, are there limitations to the location on site in addition to the embankment or within 20 ft of the embankment?

A) The contractor is not to construct the cofferdam from materials that may become waterborne upon saturation or overtopping, as per Note 4 under Construction Sequence Notes for Temporary Cofferdam Facility on Sheet 52 of 63.

15. Where will the approximately 10 cy of class a, impervious, earthfill be paid as shown on sheet 4 of 63 of the plans, note 5.

A) This material is for use in the construction of the trench drain, as shown on the detail on Sheet 22 of 63. Construction Specification 10 - Earthfill, Paragraph 10.e.5 states “No separate payment will be made for Impervious Earthfill. Compensation for this item will be included in the payment for Bid Item 24, Trench Drain, Construction Specification 45 – Plastic Pipe.

16. For the RCC Auxiliary spillway, can the contractor assume once competent rock is hit, the Government will approve this elevation as the limit of excavation without any minimum elevation to meet? This is in reference to Sheet 16 of 63 of the plans where the approximate top of rock is significantly higher than the planned limit of excavation, specifically in the “40’ stilling basin” section. Sheet 18 was noted.

A) Note 3, Sheet 18 states that “Contractor shall excavate to the elevations shown on the drawings, or to the top of erosion-resistant rock, as defined in CS21, whichever is higher elevation. Approximate top of rock indicated on Drawings is not necessarily synonymous with top of erosion-resistant rock.”

Other Information

1. Some level of dewatering is anticipated at the downstream toe of the dam to install the trench drain per specifications, despite there not being a permanent pool behind the dam.

Attachments

1. Revised Bid Schedule

2. Revised Construction Specification 61 – Rock Riprap

3. Revised Drawing Sheet 4 of 63

4. Beaver Creek Dam Piezometer Drilling Log

5. Beaver Creek Dam: Information on Pool Response to Rainfall Events Site Showing Date: January 22, 2021 5 of 5