QA Sharon Hollow Road and Ohley Hollow Road EWP.pdf

Sharon Hollow Road and Ohley Hollow Road EWP Kanawha County, WV

Solicitation 12FPC326B0010

Question and Answers

1. Q: Does the NRCS determine the foundation riprap quantity for the gabions if it is needed.?

A: Yes. The drawings show the dimensions for the foundation riprap when it is needed.

The locations needed under the gabion wall will be determined by the NRCS at the time of excavation. The rock is paid by the ton at the unit price set in bid schedule, Item 4B.

This item is only used if needed and is determined during installation. Contractors are instructed to bid this item as if it will be used. Any unbalanced bids will be rejected.

2. Q: Will all of the Ohley Site Bid Item 3B, Steel Reinforcement Foundation, be used. A:

The steel reinforcement will only be used if bedrock is encountered within 2’ of the stream bottom. If rock isn’t encountered anywhere within 2' of the stream bottom, this item will not be used. Contractors are instructed to bid this item as if it will be completely used. Any unbalanced bids will be rejected.

3. Q: Is there a designated waste area for this project?

A: No, the contractor is responsible for finding an approved waste location. The location must be outside the 100 yr flood plain and must follow any state and federal guidelines.

Written permission is required and the landowner must sign off that there aren’t any issues when the contractor is done.

4. Q: Have the required permits been obtained and do the permits allow us to work in the stream?

A: Yes. The required permits have been obtained. Instream work should be kept to a minimum. A berm should be constructed above water level to traverse.

5. Q: Can excess material be used as backfill if it is needed?

A: Yes. Any woody debris, trash, or organic material must be removed. Any remaining material left over must be removed to an approved waste area.

6. Q: Are the landowners aware of the work and the extents?

A: Yes. Land rights have been obtained for the work areas shown in the drawings. If additional space or land use is desired, it’s the contractor’s responsibility to acquire written permission.

7. Q: Will the grout be used at the Sharon Site?

A: The need for grout will be determined when the foundation is excavated. If the foundation is less than 2’ deep, 1’ of the rock riprap will be required to be grouted. If the foundation is 2’-3’ deep, grout is not required. Contractors are instructed to bid this item as if it will be completely used. Any unbalanced bids will be rejected.

8. Q: Does the riprap have to be dewatered for grouting at the Sharon Site?

A: Yes. Riprap must be clean, saturated, and dewatered in accordance with the specifications. A pump will be required if needed to dewater the riprap. Grout can not be placed in standing water. If grout isn’t required, the foundation will need to be dewatered enough to allow checking the grade of the foundation.

9. Q: Does the concrete supplier have to be DOH certified?

A: No. As long as the supplier can provide submittals to show the mix design and all materials meet the specifications, they can be used.

10. Q: Can we pump all the water around the work area?

A: Yes, as long any berms to collect the water are removed daily to open the stream back up when work ends for the day.

11. Q: Does the gabion installation require dewatering? Can gabion stone be placed in the baskets in standing water?

A: Dewatering the foundation is required, but blocking the entire stream is not allowed.

The excavated foundation needs to remain dewatered until grade can be established, gabion basket set, and the bottom two feet of stone installed, in accordance with the drawings and specifications, prior to allowing water to enter the work area. The contract requires that after the foundation has been excavated, there is a 24-hour timeframe to have the base basket completely installed, filled with stone and backfill in accordance with the drawings and specifications. A dewatering plan is not required to be shown, but bids should reflect the cost to dewater. If contaminates or debris are allowed to get into the gabions due to water entering the work area, the contractor is responsible for removing the contaminates and debris prior to continuing the filling process.

12. Q: Can we pump water from the stream to perform the flushing of riprap prior to placing grout as required by the contract?

A: Yes, as long as the water is clean and free of any oils. Flushing shall require a pump using a minimum diameter of 1-1/2” intake and discharge. The flushing process is expected to remove silt, fines, debris, and open voids to allow free grout placement without disturbing the riprap placement. Flushing will need to be repeated if contamination of the riprap occurs before grout can be placed.

13. Can riprap truck beds be lined with fines for truck bed protection?

A: Yes, but only riprap meeting the gradation requirements stated in the contract will be allowed to be placed in the work areas of the project. All unused riprap materials, truck bed linings shall be hauled off site to an approved disposal location (see question 3). A tonnage of truck bed lining material will be agreed to between the on-site superintendent and the inspector for a deduction from the load ticket. A copy of the riprap load tickets will be provided to the inspector for each load delivered to the site.

14. Q: Who will be testing the grout for compliance with the contract specifications?

A: It is the responsibility of the contractor to perform or have a qualified individual to perform all concrete tests as stated in the contract. The contractor shall submit to the COR the qualifications of the individual or entity performing the test (typical certifications include ACI and state DOH/DOT). NRCS may also perform periodic tests for compliance. Grout requirements which shall be verified via testing are listed under Construction Specification 62 – Grouted Rock Riprap.

15. Q: Are existing pipes supposed to be replaced?

A: All existing and in service pipes are to be replaced with a material that is equal to or of greater quality and shall be extended out 6” from riprap/gabion baskets.

16. Q: Does the gabion stone need to be hand placed in the gabions?

A: All exposed faces (including top of steps) plus 1 foot beyond, of the gabion baskets need to have the gabion stone placed in a fashion to give a void free face as much as possible (called facing). The laborers need to use larger, flat rocks in this process to perform the facing. All layers throughout the gabion stone placement matrix will need some hand work to level out 1’ lifts of gabion stone, filling in all voids and to facilitate the required cross tying as shown in the drawings.

17. Q: Can hog rings be used to assemble and connect baskets in wall?

A: No. The gabion baskets are required to be hand laced when assembling and connecting to adjacent baskets in the wall. See details on sheets 7 and 9 in the drawings for Ohley Hollow Road, Site 2. Hog rings can be used to temporarily hold baskets in place until the baskets are fully laced.

18. Q: What are the hours of operation, will we be able to work over the designated hours in the contract?

A: Your work schedule needs to be approved by the CO prior to work commencement, and work and non-work holidays are spelled out in the solicitation. The Contracting Officer needs to approve any work schedule changes and non-work holidays. The contractor needs to request these changes within 5 days prior to a work schedule change.

The entire work needs to be completed no later than 70 calendar days after receiving the Notice to Proceed. The maximum workweek allowed is 10 hours per day, 6 days a week (Monday through Saturday).

19. Q: Will we need to pay prevailing wage?

A: The awarded contractor will need to pay the wage rates as shown in the solicitation, Department of Labor Construction Wage Rates. A minimum of group 2 power equipment operator will need to be paid for equipment operators, and a minimum of group 2 will be paid for laborers.

20. Q: Do we need to haul dirt in?

A: It’s not anticipated that materials need to be hauled in. Extra materials from one site can be used on the other site provided the materials are as per contract requirements. If additional material is needed to backfill any areas of the site, it is the contractor’s responsibility to obtain needed material. Care needs to be used during the excavation process to try and save any topsoil, if possible, to be used in the final grading. If materials are hauled from site to site, Davis Bacon wages will apply to the truck driver hauling those materials.

21. Q: Can rock riprap or gabion stone be dumped directly into the stream when placing those materials?

A: Yes, but care needs to be taken to not disturb areas of the opposite bank, and restricting the stream’s flow will not be permitted. The contractor should ensure that practicing this method does not result in flooding within the work area.

22. Q: Does Miss Utility need to be contacted?

A: Yes, it’s the responsibility of the contractor to provide a confirmation number to the COR or inspector prior to any excavation being performed.

23. Q: Can work be performed on both sites at the same time?

A: Possibly, as long as government inspection requirements can be met by the available inspection staff. Working at multiple sites simultaneously shall be coordinated with the CO, COR, and Inspector. In any case, a CPR/first aid card holder must always be present at any site where work is being carried out.

24. Q: Do we have to provide a portable restroom facility for both sites?

A: A portable restroom facility is required to be provided. If the contractor chooses to only supply a restroom to one of the sites, the contractor must allow employees from either site to travel to the portable restroom location.

25. Q: Does the grout have gravel in it?

A: The grout specification is essentially a 4000-psi conventional concrete with a coarse aggregate. It is not like a slurry grout. It is the contractor’s responsibility to obtain a grout mix design from their chosen supplier and submit to the COR for approval prior to grout delivery to the site.

26. Q: Can the COR and inspector visually inspect the rock riprap prior to delivery to help assist on the correct rock riprap sizing?

A: It’s the contractor’s responsibility to find a quarry/supplier and provide a scheduled appointment for the rock riprap inspection. Then a representative from NRCS would be willing to inspect the rock riprap prior to hauling it on site. Note that all rock must pass the DOH certifications as stated in Construction Specification 61 – Rock Riprap. NRCS will not be held responsible for any delays in construction for this action.

27. Q: Can the riprap be end-dump placed?

A: No. The riprap needs to be equipment placed and care needs to be practiced as to not to damage the geotextile.

28. Q: Can gabion baskets be laced off site to avoid prevailing wages?

A: Only at the contractor’s official business or shop location. The contractor cannot construct gabions just outside the construction limits to avoid prevailing wages. Also note that if the gabions are constructed off site, and they were laced incorrectly, the contractor will need to re-lace the gabions in accordance with the contract requirements at no additional cost to the government.

29. Q: Can the grout be placed right out of the concrete truck chute?

A: Thoroughly read the grouted riprap specifications for placing the grout. There’s a specific placement detail. The entire grouted riprap specification needs to be read thoroughly.

30. Q: Does the bid price need to be within the solicitation estimated range for the project cost?

A: No. That is just an estimate. Care needs to be taken when bidding so as to consider all subsidiary items, bid items that may or may not get used, or items that are not used in their entirety as shown on the drawings estimates on page 2.

31. Q: Who will take down the chain link fence for access at the Ohley gabion site?

A: The contractor will be responsible for taking down the chain link fence and reinstalling the fence after the work is completed. All disturbed areas will have to be seeded to the Seeding, Sprigging, and Mulching specification requirements.

32. Q: Will the equipment under the carport be moved during construction?

A: The landowner will be responsible to move the equipment under the carport as much as necessary for the work to be completed.

33. Q: Will the carport be present during construction?

A: Yes. The carport will remain in its present location during construction. The ends of the carport can be shifted upstream or downstream as needed to complete all necessary excavation to install the gabion baskets.