Attachment_7_-_Pre-Bid_RFIs_Responses_0004.docx

Pre-Bid RFIs

1. Asbestos – Unknown Boiler Scope RFI: The specifications state that the existing boilers are currently operating and will require investigation after shutdown to determine the asbestos-containing material associated with the boilers, and that this scope will not be fully identified until demolition. Please clarify what quantity/allowance bidders are to carry for currently unidentified asbestos associated with the boilers and boiler equipment. Will asbestos discovered after shutdown beyond specifically identified materials be treated as a differing site condition/change?

RESPONSE: Contractor to assume gaskets and jacket insulation may contain asbestos material until otherwise determined for the purpose of removals. Provide a line item for time and material for unknown quantities.

2. Unidentified Thermal-System Insulation RFI: Specifications require removal of "small sections of thermal system insulation as necessary" to complete the mechanical renovation and state this scope will not be identified prior to initiation of work. Please provide a bidding quantity or allowance for this unidentified ACM. Alternatively, confirm additional quantities discovered during construction will be addressed by modification.

RESPONSE: Provide a line item for time and material for unknown quantities.

3. Existing Asbestos Survey RFI: Please provide the complete existing hazardous-material/asbestos survey referenced by the contract documents, including the 1989 building survey and any subsequent sampling reports, laboratory results, quantities, and location drawings.

The specifications specifically rely on a 1989 survey and instruct the contractor to treat thermal-system insulation not obviously fiberglass as asbestos.

RESPONSE: See Asbestos Physical Assessment by Hazard Control, Inc. (dated 1/5/89) provided by BIA.

4. Asbestos Quantities RFI: Please confirm whether any Government quantity takeoff exists for:

· Ceiling tile and glue/mastic

· Crawlspace piping insulation

· Boiler-room piping insulation

· Tanks

· Boiler insulation

· Boiler flue insulation

· Miscellaneous thermal-system insulation If available, please provide quantities for bidding purposes.

RESPONSE: See Asbestos Physical Assessment by Hazard Control, Inc. (dated 1/5/89) provided by BIA. The assessment provides estimated material quantities.

5. Third-Party Asbestos Monitoring / Clearance Responsibility RFI: Section 014523 states that the Owner reserves the right to either provide the competent person directly or require the Contractor to provide a third party. Please clarify for bidding whether the Government or Contractor is responsible for the independent third-party industrial hygienist/competent person, baseline monitoring, daily area monitoring, visual inspections, and final clearance sampling.

RESPONSE: Owner (BIA) requires the contractor to provide a third party industrial hygienist for baseline monitoring, daily area monitoring, visual inspections, and final clearance sampling.

6. Final Asbestos Air Clearance Cost RFI: Please confirm whether all final clearance sampling and laboratory costs are Government-furnished or Contractor-furnished. If Contractor-furnished, please provide the anticipated number of separate containment areas/clearance events bidders should carry.

RESPONSE: Contractor will incur cost on all final clearance sampling and laboratory costs.

7. Corridor Abatement Phasing RFI: Specifications indicate all hallways may not be available for abatement simultaneously. Please identify the anticipated allowable corridor phasing, maximum corridor length/area that may be taken out of service at one time, and required access routes that must remain operational.

RESPONSE: During abatement there will be no occupants in the building.

8. Normal Working Hours / After-Hours Work RFI: Please provide allowable normal construction hours. Identify work—including demolition, asbestos abatement, utility shutdowns, ceiling work, noisy work, and work within occupied corridors—that will be required after normal BIA operating hours.

RESPONSE: Allowable working hours are 7:30 am-5:30 pm

9. After-Hours Premium Costs RFI: If the Government requires work shown in the contract documents to be performed outside normal working hours to maintain building operations, should bidders include all premium labor in the base bid? Please identify the anticipated restrictions so bidders can price consistently.

RESPONSE: There are no after-hours premium costs.

10. Temporary Heating/Cooling During Construction RFI: Please clarify whether temporary heating and/or cooling of occupied areas will be required while the existing boiler/HVAC systems are being removed and the new systems installed. If required, identify required interior temperature criteria and whether temporary systems are Contractor-furnished.

AE RESPONSE: Refer to spec Section 230000 HVAC General Provisions paragraphs 1.10.A and B.

11. Existing Boiler Shutdown Date RFI: Please identify the earliest date the existing boiler system may be shut down and demolished and whether the Government has seasonal restrictions on boiler shutdown.

RESPONSE: Refer to Item 10 above. Contractor to coordinate means and methods with existing and new HVAC equipment for seasonal operations based on construction schedule approved by COR.

12. Utility Shutdown Duration RFI: Specifications generally limit utility interruptions to one hour without prior approval. Please identify whether longer planned electrical/mechanical shutdowns will be permitted for switchgear/panel modifications, boiler demolition, controls cutovers, and new HVAC system commissioning.

RESPONSE: Longer periods of interruptions must be scheduled and approved by COR. Duration of shutdown will be based on site conditions at the time of the proposed interruption event and systems affected by such construction event.

13. Electrical Service Capacity RFI: Please confirm that the existing electrical service has been evaluated and has adequate capacity for all new VRF equipment, DOAS equipment, electric baseboard heating, controls, and other new loads shown.

RESPONSE: Electrical equipment for new service has been sized to serve loads for all new HVAC equipment.

14. Existing Electrical Equipment Condition RFI: Please confirm whether all existing switchboards/panelboards designated for reuse have been field-verified by the designer for condition, available breaker space, AIC rating, and compatibility with the proposed modifications.

RESPONSE: Notes for existing switchboards/panelboards designated for reuse were field-verified with site investigations completed during 2023 design period.

15. Available Fault Current RFI: Please provide available utility fault-current information and any existing short-circuit/coordination data required to complete the specified short-circuit and arc-flash studies.

RESPONSE: For short-circuit and arc-flash studies, contractor shall obtain electrical power utility impedance / fault current information from electrical power utility as called for in the specifications.

16. Existing Building Management System RFI: Please identify the manufacturer, model/platform, current service provider, and point of contact for the existing Building Management System/BACnet system.

RESPONSE: Refer to spec Section 230993 “Sequence of Operation. HVAC equipment all electric. No actual BMS vendor each terminal unit system basic independent temperature control via wall mounted thermostat.

VRF units controlled by VRF and DOAS unit system controlled by same thermostat controller dependent on vendor capabilities for selected equipment.

DOAS units controlled by independent system controller thermostat.

Unit heater control by single temperature room thermostat. VAV box control dual-temperature t-stat.

17. Controls Contractor RFI: Is there an incumbent or Government-required controls/BMS contractor that must perform integration into the existing system? If so, please provide company name and contact information so bidders can obtain required pricing.

RESPONSE: Refer to Item 16 response.

18. BMS Licensing / Programming RFI: Please clarify whether all BMS software, graphics, licensing, programming, integration, and owner workstation modifications necessary for the new HVAC equipment are included in Contractor scope.

RESPONSE: Refer to Item 16 response.

19. VRF Manufacturer RFI: Please confirm the acceptable VRF manufacturers and whether substitutions/equal systems will be considered.

RESPONSE: Refer to spec Section 238140 “Variable Refrigerant flow Equipment and Systems”, page 3, paragraph 2.01 MANUFACTURERS for list of manufacturers subject to compliance with requirements or approved equal.

21. VRF Startup / Commissioning RFI: Please clarify whether factory-authorized manufacturer startup/commissioning is required and whether the manufacturer's representative must physically attend startup.

AE RESPONSE: Refer to spec Section 238140 “Variable Refrigerant flow Equipment and Systems”, page 13, paragraph 3.04 DEMONSTRATION shown below:

22. TAB Contractor Requirements RFI: Please confirm whether TAB must be performed by a NEBB-certified firm or whether compliance with NEBB procedures without agency certification is acceptable.

RESPONSE: Refer to spec Section 230593 “HVAC Testing, Adjusting and Balancing”, page 2, paragraph 1.05 QUALITY ASSURANCE shown below:

23. Roof Warranty / Existing Roof RFI: Drawing A100 indicates roof patching is to match the existing Mule-Hide roofing system. Please provide the existing roofing system type, approximate age, warranty status, warranty number, and current authorized roofing/warranty contractor, if applicable.

RESPONSE: The single ply membrane roof was installed in 2023. The warranty expires August 10, 2043. The warranty is Mule-Hide Products Co., Inc.

24. Roof Warranty Responsibility RFI: Is the Contractor required to maintain or reinstate an existing manufacturer's roof warranty following HVAC demolition/penetration/patching? If yes, please provide the warranty requirements.

RESPONSE: Contractor’s work must maintain the current warranty.

25. Existing Roof Conditions RFI: Has the existing roof assembly been tested for asbestos or other regulated materials at areas to be cut, patched, or penetrated? If yes, please provide results.

RESPONSE: There are no asbestos or other regulated materials in the roofing system.

26. Ceiling Replacement Limits RFI: Please confirm the exact limits of new suspended acoustical ceiling/grid installation following removal of existing ceiling tile and asbestos-containing adhesive. Are complete corridor ceiling systems to be replaced, or only areas specifically indicated?

AE RESPONSE: Refer to drawings 01 & 02/A100 reflected ceiling plan for work extents.

27. GWB Condition Following Mastic Removal RFI: If asbestos adhesive/mastic removal damages the existing gypsum board substrate beyond what can receive the new ceiling system, is replacement of damaged GWB included in the base bid or considered unforeseen remediation?

RESPONSE: The contractor needs to include a line item for square feet for quantities.

28. Painting/Patching Limits RFI: Please clarify required finish restoration following HVAC, electrical, ceiling, piping, controls, and equipment demolition. Are affected walls/ceilings to be painted corner-to-corner/nearest break or only locally patched?

RESPONSE: Patch and paint (as necessary) surfaces affected corner-to-corner or to the nearest break.

29. Window A/C Units RFI: Please confirm disposition of all existing window A/C units being replaced: Government salvage or Contractor removal/disposal?

RESPONSE: No window AC units shown on mechanical drawings.

30. Refrigerant Recovery RFI: Please confirm all refrigerant-containing equipment to be removed and whether any equipment is to be salvaged intact for the Government.

AE RESPONSE: Drawings indicate equipment to be removed along with all appurtenances in their entirety as in demo keynotes.

31. Existing Fluorescent Fixtures / PCB Ballasts RFI: Please confirm the approximate quantity of fluorescent fixtures to be removed and whether any are Government salvage. Please also confirm Contractor responsibility for testing/classification/disposal of potentially PCB-containing ballasts.

The specifications direct the Contractor to treat unlabeled ballasts as PCB-containing and anticipate up to two 55-gallon drums.

RESPONSE: Construction drawings ED101 and ED102 show approximate quantity of existing fixtures to be removed. Per construction drawings and specifications, equipment considered salvageable by the Owner’s representative shall be turned over to Owner. All lamps and ballasts considered hazardous water shall be properly disposed of. Original lighting is based on installation in late 1960, when PCB-containing ballasts were still allowed.

33. Crawlspace Soil RFI: Please clarify whether disturbed crawlspace soil requires testing or removal beyond visible insulation/debris cleanup.

RESPONSE: The assumption is that over the years, repairs have likely contaminated the soils. These conditions are usually handled by removing any visible pieces of ACM on the soil during the remediation, and the area is treated as an asbestos-contaminated area and posted as such. Any new work in the crawlspace will require respiratory protection. The completed crawlspace shall be posted as asbestos-contaminated, with respiratory protection required.

34. Crawlspace Decontamination Arrangement RFI: Please confirm whether remote decontamination/double-suit procedures are acceptable for all crawlspaces where direct connection of a decontamination unit is physically impractical.

RESPONSE: Yes, this is acceptable. Coordinate with BIA to ensure the decontamination location is not in an area occupied by non-abatement personnel. If the distance of the identified decontamination location is more than 20 feet, multiple remote decons might be required.

35. Storage/Staging RFI: Please identify the areas that will be made available for Contractor staging, storage containers, dumpster(s), asbestos dumpster, office trailer, decontamination trailer, and material deliveries.

RESPONSE: Contractor may use the north area of the east and/or west parking lots. These areas are within the fence.

36. Contractor Parking RFI: Please identify designated Contractor/subcontractor parking areas and any restrictions on construction vehicles.

RESPONSE: Contractors/subcontractors may park along street.

37. Temporary Utilities RFI: Please confirm which temporary utilities are available at no cost to the Contractor, including potable water, electrical power, sanitary facilities, and internet. Identify available connection locations and capacities.

AE RESPONSE: Refer to Specifications Div 01.

38. Window AC Units Patching RFI: Please provide information regarding what patching methods will be required when the window AC units are removed. Solid infill panels, or glazing?

RESPONSE: No Window AC shown on mechanical drawings.

39. We have a question regarding the piping in the crawl space. Could you clarify if all piping in that area is intended to be abandoned and left in place? The current demolition plan indicates specific cut locations, but it also includes a note about leaving piping in place.

RESPONSE: The intent was that all existing unused piping in the crawl space to be removed to clean up the space for maintenance and future repair work if needed. Remove any pipe lengths, fittings and accessories that are associated with any abandoned piping.

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