Amendment 1 - Q and A.pdf

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES: FISH RIVER & WEEKS BAY MARSH RESTORATION

SOLICITATION NUMBER 1305M3-24-B-0001

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Questions Received via E-Mail:

a. Question: Do you know approximately when the Fish River and Weeks Bay project would start following an award?

Answer: In approximately 30 calendar days.

b. Question: Please clarify period of performance, solicitation notes 180 days and general note 140 days.

Answer: The 180 days that is stated in the solicitation is the total number of days if the base bid and all bid alternatives are awarded. The 140 days that are stated in the General Conditions of the Specifications is for the base bid, 30 days for the bid alternative number 1, and 10 days for the bid alternative number 2 which then equates to 180 days if the base bid and the two bid alternatives are awarded.

c. Question: Please elaborate upon completion of grading activities what the contractor is Responsible for seeing wise and final vegetations? Type of seed, etc?

Answer: Seeding is not specifically required by the contract documents. However, the Contractor will be required to obtain and maintain compliance with a construction stormwater NPDES Permit from ADEM per Paragraph 3-Permits of the General Conditions of the Specifications. The NPDES general permit requires final stabilization

– see Part III Stormwater Pollution Prevention Requirements Section C–Soil Stabilization. The Contractor may propose seeding for final stabilization as part of their Construction Best Management Practices Plan (CBMPP). If seeding is proposed for final soil stabilization, the type of seed would need to be an annual, not perennial, and the specific seed would need to be approved by the Government as part of the

CBMPP.

d. Question: Please confirm if items can be disposed of that could be pulverized and used for future borrow can be disposed of at a borrow pit or all debris must go to a landfill?

Additionally, can timber hauled off by logger and used/sold/etc if able to?

Answer: As per Paragraph 18-Clearing and Grubbing of the Technical Provisions of the

Specifications all materials from clearing and grubbing operations shall be properly disposed at a Government approved disposal facility.

e. Question: Please confirm if any borrow areas are not accessible by land, the intent is to use equipment that can make borrow areas accessible by waterways to obtain fill?

Answer: Bidders shall make their own determination of borrow area accessibility.

Paragraph 5.2 of the Technical Provisions of the Specifications states that “Areas that may not be accessed by land may be accessed through the canals on the Project Construction Site.”

All borrow areas are connected by land. However, Paragraph 6.1 of the Environmental Protection Provisions of the Specifications states that “Unless indicated in the Plans or directed by the Government, the Contractor shall not remove, cut, deface, injure, or destroy land resources including marsh or berm vegetation, trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, topsoil, and landforms without direct written permission from the Government.” The Contractor shall make their own determination if access to any of the borrow areas by land would violate the above language.

f. Question: Will any specific submittal/document management program be required or will transmittals be via email?

Answer: As per Paragraph 19.15-Submitting Submittals Electronically of the General

Conditions of the Specifications the Contractor has the option of electronically submitting the submittals to the Government and Engineer.

g. Question: Contractor would like to confirm their understanding from the solicitation documents that all technical submittals will be transmitted directly to the engineer and not through the COR.

Answer: As per Paragraph 19.14-Forwarding Submittals of the General Conditions of the

Specifications states "At the time of the transmittal to the Engineer, the Contractor shall also send a copy of the complete submittal directly to the COR."

h. Question: The General Conditions states that a boat may be required to be supplied by the

Contractor for transportation of the Government’s construction observer. In this section, it lists that the Contractor must supply required dockage. Would it be acceptable to store a boat on a trailer at the job site to be launched as needed?

Answer: This proposed method is acceptable to the Government.

i. Question: The General Conditions section 27.2 (Permit Time Extensions) lists the concern of construction not being completed within the timeframes of the currently approved permits. Can the government provide the current required completion dates of the approved permits?

Answer: The timeframe for the completion of the work ready for use that is stated in the General Conditions of the Specifications is consistent with the allowable time frame of the approved permits.

j. Question: The technical provisions state that the borrow areas shall all be cleared of all trees, logs, brush, etc. above grade and grubbed of all root systems down to the 1’ elevation.

It directs to dispose of all of this removed material. It is the Contractor's expectation that removing all of this material will significantly reduce the amount of borrow soil available to utilize as fill. Additionally, in similar construction projects, the existing trees, roots, etc. have been utilized as additional fill material and placed in such a manner as to better stabilize the fill area. Would the government consider allowing this material to be used as strategic fill in lieu of disposing offsite?

Answer: No, the Government will not allow this.

k. Question: Based on knowledge of the soil make-up to be utilized as fill, it is expected that maintaining the required slope at fill areas 3 (1:5) will not be manageable without utilizing riprap or another geotextile and/or fill to stabilize the fill. This will also be a concern at the fill areas 1 and 2 where the fill terminates and transitions back to the canal. Would the government approve the installation of riprap at these locations for additional stabilization?

Answer: No, the Government will not allow installation of riprap in the fill areas. Paragraph 20.11-One-Time Slope Adjustment for the Fill Areas of the Technical Provisions of the Specifications is intended to cover this scenario and states that “Should the Contractor encounter difficulty attaining the fill placement slope delineated within the Plans, the Contractor may request a change in construction slope.” Bidders are encouraged to review this paragraph in its entirety.

l. Question: The specification in relation to grubbing any foreign object over 1” (inch) must be removed in the grubbing process. This is incredibly stringent and will result in a sizeable cost increase to sieve this level of fines out of grubbed soils. Is this the government's intent?

Answer: Paragraph 18-Clearing and Grubbing of the Technical Provisions of the Specifications states that "After clearing, grubbing shall be completed within the borrow areas to remove any remaining roots or other debris that are not suitable to be used as fill material within one foot (1') of the ground surface. Unless otherwise specified, all stumps, roots, and root clusters that have a diameter of one inch (1”) or larger shall be grubbed out." It is not the intent of this language for the Contractor to grub any object over one inch (1”). The intent of this language is specific to large woody debris defined as a stump, root, or root cluster that has a diameter of one inch (1”) or larger such that it is not placed within the fill areas. For example, objects such as dirt clods/lumps, shell, etc. would not be required to be removed. It is not intended that sieving be completed to meet this requirement. Another example could be a two feet (2’) long root that is one-half inch (0.5”) in diameter – because the root in this example is not one inch (1”) in diameter it would not be required to be cleared.

m. Question: Since this project is on Alabama land (not federal land), please confirm that bidders must be in compliance with Chapter 8 of Title 34, Code of Alabama, 1975 that states for jobs greater than $50,000 that all bidders must have a valid AL general contractors license at the time of bid.

Answer: As per FAR 52.236-7: The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work.

n. Question: Are there any known contaminates in the soil?

Answer: There are no known contaminants in the soil.

o. Question: Per the specifications no native object may be larger than 1”. This for soil reuse as this project intended will require all native soils to be sieved with a 1” fine sieve plant. This will most certainly result in this projects escalation past the intended ROM limit of 1-2 million.

Answer: Paragraph 18-Clearing and Grubbing of the Technical Provisions of the Specifications states that "After clearing, grubbing shall be completed within the borrow areas to remove any remaining roots or other debris that are not suitable to be used as fill material within one foot (1') of the ground surface. Unless otherwise specified, all stumps, roots, and root clusters that have a diameter of one inch (1”) or larger shall be grubbed out." It is not the intent of this language for the Contractor to grub any object over one inch (1”). The intent of this language is specific to large woody debris defined as a stump, root, or root cluster that has a diameter of one inch (1”) or larger such that it is not placed within the fill areas. For example, objects such as dirt clods/lumps, shell, etc. would not be required to be removed. It is not intended that sieving be completed to meet this requirement. Another example could be a two feet (2’) long root that is one-half inch (0.5”) in diameter – because the root in this example is not one inch (1”) in diameter it would not be required to be cleared.

p. Question: For soil to be sieved it must be laid out and dried prior to its separation of this fine of a particle. Where would this staging and drying take place?

Answer: The Technical Provisions of the Specifications doesn't require and is not intended for the soil to be sieved and dried out.

q. Question: Are evenings under ample contractor supplied light acceptable? Are weekends acceptable?

Answer: As per Paragraph 16-Nighttime Operations of the General Conditions of the

Specifications it states "Nighttime is defined as the period of time from sunset to sunrise. Nighttime operations are prohibited." Weekend work is acceptable as long as it is during daylight hours.

r. Question: As contractor understands it any bidder must have an active Alabama GC license. Is this agreed with by the government?

Answer: As per FAR 52.236-7: The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work.

s. Question: Are temporary levees, dikes, coffer dams, sheet pile permitted during any aspect of the project?

Answer: No, the Government will not allow this.

t. Question: Will the use of liquid or semi-liquid transfer pumps be allowed?

Answer: No, the Government will not allow this.

u. Question: May additional clearing be allowed to occur? May LGP (low ground pressure) matting be deployed to minimize soil damage, but may disturb existing vegetation, if the vegetation is replanted?

Answer: Clearing outside of the areas specified in the contract documents will not be allowed.

Paragraph 6.1 of the Environmental Protection Provisions of the Specifications states that “Unless indicated in the Plans or directed by the Government, the Contractor shall not remove, cut, deface, injure, or destroy land resources including marsh or berm vegetation, trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, topsoil, and landforms without direct written permission from the Government.”

v. Question: Is amphibious equipment allowed?

Answer: The determination of what equipment to be used in the construction of this project must be made by the Contractor.

w. Question: Are barges and/or temporary bridges allowed?

Answer: The determination of what equipment to be used in the construction of this project must be made by the Contractor.

x. Question: We are planning on bidding on this project and was wondering if there was any current information that is not listed on the Sam.Gov website?

Answer: No, all information that is in regards to this solicitation has been posted to the

Sam.Gov website.

y. Question: Will there be a requirement for permanent vegetation for the disturbed areas after construction?

Answer: Seeding is not specifically required by the contract documents. However, the Contractor will be required to obtain and maintain compliance with a construction stormwater NPDES Permit from ADEM per Paragraph 3-Permits of the General Conditions of the Specifications. The NPDES general permit requires final stabilization

– see Part III Stormwater Pollution Prevention Requirements Section C–Soil Stabilization. The Contractor may propose seeding for final stabilization as part of their Construction Best Management Practices Plan (CBMPP). If seeding is proposed for final soil stabilization, the type of seed would need to be an annual, not perennial, and the specific seed would need to be approved by the Government as part of the

CBMPP.