B09_-_140P4226R0026_-_Amendment_0002_-_Questions_and_Answers_0002.pdf

Solicitation 140P4226R0026 – Amendment 0002

RFP

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS REGARDING:

SOLICITATION/REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. 120P4226R0026 -

Amendment 0002

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historical Site (ALPO) – Stabilization of the Staple Bend Tunnel

QUESTIONS RECEIVED

1. Question: The plans mention seasonal restriction for bats and that it will be defined by the NPS Contract.

We see no mention of it in the documents. Can you clarify if there are restrictions and what those restrictions will be?

ANSWER: Yes – No work inside the tunnel can occur between October 15, 2026 and May 15, 2027 (this applies each year). Actual “boots on the ground” is restricted from May 1, 2027 (mobilization to site), actual work in tunnel is restricted from May 16, 2027 to October 15, 2027. Small punch list items inside the tunnel and demobilization can occur until October 31, 2027.

Additionally as a result of this question the Government recognized there is a lack of information about the

Bat House requirements as well. The Schedule of Items has been updated to include the following:

00120 Optional Item 2 – Bat Houst – 3 Chamber House Mounted on Post (updated language from original)

00130 Optional Item 3 – Bat House – Artificial Roost Simulated Roost/Crevice Mounted on Post (new Line

Item)

Additional language regarding the Bat Houses has been added under Section C.3

A – Supplemental Information

1. BAT HOUSES

a. The contractor shall install two (2) temporary bat houses at either end of the tunnel, prior to any construction work beginning. The bat houses must be Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) (i.e. Bat

Conservation and Management, Inc or equivalent) and approved by Bat Conservation International as stated in Attachment 1 – ALPO Staple Bend Tunnel-Specs – Final 7.12.2026.

i. The Bat Houses must be suitable for Indiana, Tri-Colored and Northern Long-Eared Bats.

ii. They must be installed in locations that receive morning sun and are shaded by afternoon.

iii. One (1) bat house shall be installed on either end of the tunnel mounted on posts.

iv. Coordinate with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or Point-of-Contact (POC) for the type of Bat House to be installed at each specific location at the end of each side of the tunnel prior to installation.

b. Types of Bat Houses Required

i. 3-Chamber Bat House mounted on post which must include, but not limited to:

1. Heavy duty no maintenance UV-resistant resin exterior (black in color)

2. Multiple Crevice sizes

3. Attic Pup Ledge

4. Front and Rear Vents for air-transfer

5. Rear exit vent that allows bats to cool off on Perch Panel

6. Self-cleaning: all droppings to fall out naturally.

7. Post mounted at least 10’ off ground

ii. Artificial Roost Simulated Roost/Crevice Bat House mounted on post which must include, but not limited to:

1. Heavy duty no maintenance UV-resistant resin exterior (dark color)

2. Minimum of 8” diameter and 56” tall

3. Diagonal “gill vents” or equivalent for ventilation

4. Must include both “wedge” crevices and “vertical baffles”

5. Self-cleaning, all droppings to fall out naturally

6. Post Mounted at least 10’ off ground

All the language above has been added to Schedule of Items, Section C.3, and under Section C.4 – Period of

Performance in Red Text with Amend 0002 Updated Schedule-Specifications and T&C’s Contractors shall provide their response based on this updated document.

2. Question: Plans note a Geotechnical Report by GEI consultants, but there is no such report provided in the documents. Please provide.

ANSWER: See Amend 0002 – Attachment 11 – Tecco and Amend 0002 – Attachment 12 – 1991 GEI

Geotechnical Report - SBT

3. Question: There are 17 proposed rock bolts shown on the pan drawings, 17 noted in the rock bolt schedule on sheet S5, and 14 on the bid form. Which is correct:

ANSWER: 17 is the correct quantity, and has been corrected in the Schedule of Items that is included with

B09 – Amend 0002 – Updated Schedule-Specification and T&C’s.

4. Question: Spec Section 13 09 02 – Mesh Installation states that pinned mesh consists of installation of steel mech using rock bolts. There is no mesh detail. Can you please clarify?

ANSWER: See Amend 0002 – Attachment 11 – Tecco for specific mesh detail. Further the mesh was one alternative and Gunite above mesh was secondary alternative, not either/or. It's either mesh or it's both mesh and Gunite. Bolts are necessary to sink the mesh in place as Tecco detail provided in Amend 0002 –

Attachment 11 – Tecco. Mesh needs to be installed nested to face of rock to hold it in place using bolts which are industry standard and can be priced accordingly by all installers for mesh. If in question as which stabilization to use, the mesh + gunite combination should be selected. Note: Tecco products were used as basis of design, and not intended to be brand-name specific, as equivalent products can be used as noted in

Attachment 1 – Section 13 09 02 (2.1) (A), they just need to meet the characteristics stated 13 09 02 (2.1) (B), and contractor shall install any other manufacturers product per that manufacturers installation requirements.

5. Question: Plans show areas of Wall Stabilization. There is no bid item for wall stabilization. Does rock scaling and shotcrete occur in these areas?

ANSWER: The alternatives in the geotechnical report (Amend 0002 – Attachment 12 – 1991 GEI

Geotechnical Report – SBT) were provided as either mesh or mesh with Gunite and were included as areas included in the Gunite calculation. If Gunite is the chosen alternate, then use mesh and Gunite in the wall stabilization areas. If only mesh is chosen, use mesh in stabilization areas. Current conditions (2 years after site assessment) need to be determined at the time of installation for additional stabilization if rock surface has broken down further since the evaluation completed in 2024. This is a field fit item, that would need to be part of the recommended monitoring program as defined in the geotechnical report (Amend 0002 –

Attachment 12 – 1991 GEI Geotechnical Report – SBT). Scaling prior to mesh installation is also recommended.

6. Question: Section 13 47 00 says to scale areas shown on the designed work plan. The plans do not show areas, void fill areas, and rock bolts. Please clarify the areas to be scaled. Please provide an amount of scaling we should assume in our bid as total volume or an average depth along the scaling area.

ANSWER: Scaling for the tunnel is shown as 3,528 square feet as shown on the Bid Schedule 00020 -

Scaling. The geotechnical report (Amend 0002 – Attachment 12 – 1991 GEI Geotechnical Report – SBT) describes that although the visual inspection of the tunnel did not reveal a significant number of locations in need of spot bolting, the presence of larger rock blocks on the tunnel floor raises concerns with respect to visitor safety. As such, a specialty rock stabilization contractor should be engaged to assess the tunnel and, as necessary, conduct light scaling on the crown and ribs to remove smaller volumes of existing loose rock

(i.e., blocks that are visibly bounded by discontinuities and that do not appear to function as key blocks for larger, potentially unstable volumes of rock). The square footage of scaling was assumed based on the conditions during the site inspection, and will need to be assessed during the remediation work to confirm that the work does not cause additional dislodging of material as well as potential movement that may have occurred since the design.

The red T marks represent where strike and dip measurements were collected. The entire crown and ribs above 5 feet height of tunnel should be scaled as needed.

7. Question: Can you provide a detail or typical section of the shotcrete showing section depth and mesh?

ANSWER: The recommendation for Gunite includes Tecco® G65/3 mesh (or similar) be anchored onto the rock surface. The Tecco® G65/3 has an aperture size of 2.5 inches and has a tensile strength of 10 kips/foot and a 2- to 4-inch-thick layer of Gunite. The Tecco detail is provided with Amend 0002 – Attachment 11 -

Tecco, and the Gunite is recommended to be sprayed with an approximate 4-inch-thick layer overlying with adherence tested for both connection to the rock and the mesh.

8. Question: Signposts is a bid item, but there are no spec section and no plan detail. The line item definition states “construct or purchase signs to be installed in locations shown in the drawings.” The drawing states that placement and installation of signposts will not be included in these drawings but will be directed by

Park personnel during construction. This language is conflicting and ambiguous. Please provide information that clearly depicts what we are installing and where we are installing in.

ANSWER: - The government concurs the language is ambiguous. The intent of Line Item 00080 is to install

Temporary signs and maintain throughout life of construction project. Further information was included in

Attachment 1, under Section 01 50 00 (3.3) (D) which states:

1. Provide temporary, directional signs for construction personnel and visitors.

2. Maintain and touchup signs so they are legible at all times.

This also includes warning signs as stated in Section 01 50 00 (3.3) (B) under Attachment 1.

The NPS reserves the right to take possession of Project identification signs per Attachment 1 – Section 01

50 00 (3.5)(C)(1).

Additional language regarding the Signs has been added under Section C.3

A. Supplemental Information

1. SIGNS

a. The contractor shall install temporary directional signs and warning signs prior to beginning project. Sign locations shall be coordinated with COR and/or POC, and subject to approval prior to ordering.

i. All signs shall be compliant with OSHA 1926 Subpart G – Signs, Signals, and

Barricades -1926.200

ii. Signs must be specific to work performed and dangers present and may include but are not limited to:

1. Danger

2. Closed

3. Do Not Enter

4. Bypass Trail with arrow pointing to trail, one (1) arrow left and one (1) arrow right post where trail meets construction zone.

iii. Sign installation shall include front (NW) and rear (SE) of tunnel. Note the rear of the tunnel (SE) has a narrow bridge and gate that opens to private land.

All the language above has been added, Section C.3 with Amend 0002 Updated Schedule-Specifications and

T&C’s Contractors shall provide their response based on this updated document.

9. Question: Shoring posts are not an itemized bid item, yet there is a spec section for them and the drawing states that installation for these will be as needed. Drawings show existing shoring posts, but not proposed. If they are to be incidental to the work, please tell us how many to assume and the average size. Please clarify.

Please provide a detail for these that show the anchoring of them.

ANSWER: There are no shoring posts recommended. The drawing remained to preserve the historical significance of previously used structure. They may be used if temporary access necessitates protection while installing grout fill. We recommend grout fill not additional posts. We included them as a potential if NPS wanted to add them as they had been used before, but there is no detail different than what was shown on previous plan design.

10. Question: Regarding the 1” diameter perforated PVC that drains into the French drain: how many of these should we assume there are, or what spacing should we assume? Do the installation of these occur only in areas where there is void fill concrete as the detail suggests, or will they occur along the length of the tunnel. If along the length of the tunnel, will they also be installed in the first and last 150’ of the tunnel through the masonry arch section? What depth should we assume they get installed into the wall? How far vertically up from the existing surface will these get installed?

ANSWER: The 1" drain is only in areas being infilled. They are to be drilled into existing stone at least 1' and carry through infill to connect to french drain. They are listed as "where most effective for drainage" meaning where water is, or will likely, be coming out of the wall (such as fisures and seams).

Drain lines are to be placed conservatively in all void fill areas to prevent water voids from forming behind void fill, as well as all existing potential water sources along rock walls. I did not spec a min spacing, but use every two feet in void fill areas, extending vertically behind void fill level.

Water sources along portals looked to be transporting from the crown and drainage lines were not included.

However , if water is building from a lateral flow , add drainage as necessary.

11. Question: Given your estimated quantity of 2,500 LF of drainage and the fact that the tunnel is 900’ long, there will be 700’ of drainage outside of the tunnel. Does this mean that they will connect at the portal and extend out 350’ past the portal on each end, or will it be 175’ past each side of each portal? Should we assume the same french drain design outside of the tunnel? Since we have no detail or information of the installation of this outside of the tunnel, would it be fair to assume that any additional work or restoration of the trail either not needed or will be paid as extra work?

ANSWER: Each 900 foot section is joined at the entrance, forming a rectangle, then extended out of the tunnel far enough to reach a down slope outlet, as per note on S7. The extra length is to insure they extend far enough.

12. Question: If the entire 2,500 LF of french drain sits 1’ deep below existing grade and there are only two borings, should we assume that this sits entirely within a sandy silt material and no rock excavation is needed to trench this in? If rock excavation is needed, this is very different means and methods.

ANSWER: This area is all previously disturbed and excavated from instillation of main water line in center of tunnel and existing grade level being higher than original elevation. Any rocks in this layer would be infill and not of extreme size.

13. Question: What is the intent of the existing railing, is it to remain in place, remove, or remove/replace?

ANSWER: The contractor is free to work around existing railing; however, must ensure adequate protection to prevent damage if left in place. Any damage to existing railing that is left in place shall be the contractor’s responsibility to fix/replace at no cost to the Government.

Contractors may also elect to remove the existing railing, and reinstall at the completion of the project, ensuring existing railing is installed in the same way (height, etc.) in the same locations where it was removed, at no additional expense to the Government. If the contractor elects to remove the railing, written notification of it their intend must be provided in writing to the COR/CO within five (5) business days before removal. If railing is removed, contractor shall be responsible for proper storage and protection while it is removed. The contractors’ written notification must include at least:

• Date of removal

• Documentation (i.e. written conditions assessment, picture, etc.) documenting the existing conditions of the railing and connection points.

• Identification of areas of existing significant damage, where there is a risk for additional damage during the removal process, that may require repair and/or replacement once removed and prior to reinstallation.

o If repairs/replacement is required, the Government may elect to have contractor repair and/or replace railing as necessary and may be subject to Change Order later, accept as noted below and above if railings remain in place.

If the contractor elects to remove the railing and fails to provide written notification to COR/CO as required, any damages to the existing railing and connection points shall be the responsibility of the contractor to repair/replace at contractor expense, prior to reinstallation.

This language will be included in Section C.14 under the new “(9) Existing Railings” at award.

14. Question: Who is responsible for snow removal and maintenance of the pedestrian trail and roadway access throughout project duration and winter season?

ANSWER: As the working schedule has been shifted (see answer to Question 1), no work should occur during snow seasons; however, should snowfall occur the Government will be responsible for snow removal on pedestrian trail used to access site, as well as all road ways within APLO boundaries.

As far as trail maintenance of the pedestrian trail, the contractor shall be responsible for maintaining and restoration of pedestrian trail to existing conditions of trail prior to work beginning. This includes but is not limited to all repairs to surrounding landscapes, tire ruts, excessive wear, potholes. If additional materials are required for restoration, they shall match existing. The Contractor shall document existing trail conditions prior to use, through photos and detailed descriptions noting existing conditions.

Amendment 0001 extended the Closing Date and Time of Friday, October 30, 2026 by no later than

1600 Mountain and remains unchanged with Amendment 0002.