S01 Amendment 0003 - Response to additional Questions.pdf

(x)

12FPC321B0010

x x copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

SYRACUSE NY 13202

NRCS-NY-122C31

ROOM 520

SUITE 354

441 S. SALINA STREET

USDA-NRCS NEW YORK STATE OFFICE

FPAC-HQ-12FPC3

WASHINGTON DC 20250

1400 INDEPENDENCE AVE SW, RM 6801-S

FPAC BUS CNTR-ACQ DIV-OPS BRANCH-SE

07/16/20210003

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

06/21/2021

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

EWP Streambank Stabilization - McGrath, Alaska

The purpose of this amendment is to provide responses to additional questions received.

Bid opening date and time remain unchanged.

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

LAUREEN M. EIPP

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS-McGrath EWP - Received July 8-15. 2021

Question 1 - Construction specification 23– Earthfill, 6. Compaction, Class C Compaction calls out compaction by a specified number of passes of the type and weight of roller or other equipment specified. 23– Earthfill, 10. Items of work and construction details A. 7. Calls out at least two passes mechanical method , 23– Earthfill, 8. Testing calls out QC testing to determine the reference maximum density and document the density of earthfill and earth backfill in place to make sure it conforms to the requirements of the specification. The requirements of the specification appear to be a minimum of 2 passes mechanically with equipment that meets the requirement shouldn’t the verbiage reference testing on maximum density be deleted?

Answer 1 - NRCS construction specifications include the boilerplate portion of each specification followed by the “Items of work and construction details” (items of work or IOW for short) portion of each construction specification. The items of work portion of each construction specification is used to establish the specifics for the project. As an example, Section 6 of the boilerplate of Construction Specification 23 indicates that compaction can be designated as Class A, Class B, or Class C. The items of work section of Construction Specification 23 indicates that for this project the earthfill compaction shall be Class C. For this project Class C compaction is defined in the items of work, Section 10.A.7.

Moisture requirements of the earthfill materials is defined in items of work Section 10.A.6.

In NRCS specifications, if there is a conflict between the items of work section and the boilerplate section of the construction specification, the items of work section governs. So for this project there will be no requirement to determine reference maximum density or optimum moisture content of the earthfill materials as the items of work clearly defines compaction and moisture content in such a way that does not rely on specific knowledge of maximum dry density or optimum moisture content of the earthfill material(s).

Question 2 - Construction specification 23– Earthfill, 8. Testing calls out QC to identify optimum moisture content yet 23– Earthfill, 10. Items of work and construction details A. 6. Appears to call out visual method of determining optimum moisture content. Shouldn’t the verbiage reference testing on maximum density be deleted?

Answer 2 - Construction specification 23, Section 10.A.6 define acceptable moisture content for the earthfill material. This is in the items of work section of the construction specification and as such it governs over requirements of the boilerplate if there is a conflict between the items of work and the boilerplate. For this project there is no requirement that the optimum moisture content of the earthfill material be identified or determined. NRCS does not typically delete anything from the boilerplate of the construction specifications.

Question 3 - For the road to the Rap location would it be allowed for the contractor to upgrade road to use in summer months?

Answer 3 - It is the contractor’s responsibility to determine approvals, permits, etc that may be required for road upgrades needed as a result of the contractor’s chosen timing and methods of construction.

Question 4 - Is the Rap location on the McGrath side of the river?

Answer 4 - The Noir Hill quarry is on the McGrath side of the river. Noir Hill quarry is not specified or prequalified as the rock source in the solicitation.

Question 5 – Is there a map of the Rap location or any other information?

Answer 5 - No specific source of rock has been specified for this project and therefore no map is provided.

Question 6 - Why did the NRCS wait so long to bid this project? With a bid date of July 21, 2021 it will be difficult to get equipment to McGrath this fall. Cutoff dates for August 2021 barges to Bethel range from August 5 -15, 2021 which hardly leaves time to get a contract signed. If we can not make the August barges to Bethel there is no way to get the equipment from Bethel to McGrath this year. This late bid date appears to give the Contractor that is already in McGrath an advantage in bidding this project.

Answer 6 - Bids for this project were solicited as soon as there was resolution of program and pre-solicitation requirements including establishment of a sponsor agreement, land rights, permitting and solicitation clearance.

Question 7 - Can the Contractor clear and grub in the fall 2021 / winter 2022 while we are in McGrath to produce and haul the rock from the Noir Hill Quarry?

Answer 7 - The contractor may choose to conduct clearing and grubbing operations at any time following Contracting Officer’s issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

Question 8 - Has a geotechnical investigation been done on any portion of this project? If so, can we get the results?

Answer 8 - No geotechnical investigation has been conducted for this project. However, some geotechnical information is available for some stream bank materials from a prior phase of the McGrath EWP projects. This geotechnical information is not directly relevant to the current project and some of the tests conducted are not relevant to the specific work being done on this current project but the geotechnical information is being provided in case it is useful to any prospective bidders. (See attachments Soil Test Locations-McGrath EWP Phase 2, and Soil Test Results McGrath EWP Phase 2)

Question 9 - Rock from Noir Hill Quarry has been used on both previous contracts. Will you accept this material if it is properly sized?

Answer 9 - Suitability of rock for riprap shall be based on Material Specification 523. Refer to Section 4 of Material Specification 523.

Question 10 - Please confirm that the bid documents to be included in our electronic bid consist of a) SF1442 - 3 pages, b) The Schedule - 1 page and c) our bid bond - 3 pages.

Answer 10 - Documents to be included are listed on page 46 of the solicitation package.

Question 11 - What are the Code and Facility Code for this project?

Answer 11 - The blocks on the SF1442 for this information are not applicable and can be left blank.

Question 12 - CS 61 - Rock Riprap -8B-4a and 8C-4a require a thumb equipped excavator, with a minimum 1.5 cubic yard bucket capacity. This is an extremely large excavator. And this same requirement was in the contract we performed in McGrath in 2008-09 and we were not required to use a machine this size and we built the project to meet the specifications. Will you waive this requirement?

Answer 12 - The requirements in Construction Specification 61, Section 8.B.4.a and Section 8.C.4.a will not be waived.

Question 13 - Does the rock riprap have to be weighed or just sized?

Answer 13 - Refer to Construction Specification 61, Section 8.A.3.b.

Question 14 - Will the rock riprap be tested at the source or in the stockpile?

Answer 14 - The contract doesn’t stipulate where the gradation tests are to be performed. The requirement is that the rock riprap meet gradation requirements in-place on the project. For this reason if NRCS believes breakage or segregation is occurring at some point in the work process after the Bid Item 10 gradation tests have been performed, NRCS reserves the right to perform or require additional testing in accordance with the contract.

Question 15 - What is the definition of adverse weather? What is the definition of unusually severe weather? From previous experience we know that the excavated material proposed for use in the permanent earthfill or rockfill works fine when dry. However, when it becomes saturated with multiple days of rain in ruts and pumps. It has to be left in place to dry and then shaped and compacted.

Answer 15 - Refer to Clause 4I-52.249-70.

Question 16 - Is a padfoot compactor required or can we used a smooth drum compactor if we can achieve the required compaction?

Answer 16 - Padfoot compactor is required. Refer to Construction Specification 23, Section 10.A.7.

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