Q_A__0001.pdf

Questions & Answers – 140P5323R0045

• What length of Type 316 stainless steel screws does the Government require for fastening the decking boards?

• The length of the 316 stainless steel screws needs to be 3"-inches.

• At the site visit, it was mentioned to carefully consider storing materials on site due to theft in the area. Upon award, our plan is to purchase all materials for the project. May we invoice for said materials with submission of a purchase order, in lieu of invoicing when the materials arrive to the job site? This would allow us to keep the materials stored at our secure facility and mitigate the risk of theft, while also allowing for us to invoice for materials upon purchase. We would not mind documenting that the submission of our purchase order is considered an indication of the materials becoming the Government’s property.

Invoicing is only available for materials that have been received. They do not need to be onsite, but you must have received and fully accepted them prior to invoicing the NPS. Possession of the materials is necessary.

• Are any permits required for this project? No permits are required for this project on the replacement of the boardwalk.

• Will the Government provide bathroom facilities, or should the contractor consider this in their bid? The contractor will have to provide for their own restroom facilities during the project.

• Wage decision KY20230040 Type "Highway" is to be used for this project.

• Do we replace the top cap on the railings with composite lumber 2" X 6" boards? Yes, the top railing cap boards will need to be composite decking to match in like kind from other boardwalks in the park. Which is ¾ inch. decking board. Pictures attached of the cap board at Doyle Valley Boardwalk.

• Toe Kickboard need to have 2" X 4" boards used as spacers, instead of 5/4 decking board? Yes, the park is good with the contractor using 2" X 4" boards as spacers for the toe kickboard instead of 5/4 decking boards.

• Carriage Bolts holding the Toe Kickboard in place need to be stainless steel? Carriage bolts do not need to be stainless steel but will need to be lengthened to accommodate to the new with for the 2" X 4"-inch spacer boards.

• Overlook railings need to have 4"-inch gap between the railings per ABASS? I will get with the regional ABASS coordinator and see if I can get an answer on this question, unless you have an answer that can be provided.

• Will the park clear brush and trees along the boardwalk for contractor? Yes, the roads & trails supervisor will clear the area along the boardwalk before construction begins. This work will most likely involve our resource management Environmental Specialist when it comes to how far it will be cleared and the trees that will be affected by the project.

• Will the share use path bike and pedestrian trail need to be open during construction through the parking lot? Yes, the share use path will need to stay open during construction. The contractor will need to come out with a plan to have an area for bikes and pedestrian to be able to cut through the parking lot. The rest of the parking lot will be given to the contractor as a laydown area during construction.

• Can the width of the boardwalk be 6' feet instead of 6' - 1"-inch? Yes, the park will be fine with the 6'-foot width for the boardwalk.

• Can the Joist be 2' foot on center for the structure of the boardwalk? Yes, the park is good with the joist 2'-foot from center.

• Does the concrete need to be protected at the beginning part of the trail to the boardwalk? Yes, the concrete path going to the boardwalk from the parking lot will need to be protected during the construction period.

• Is machinery (example Mini-Excavator) be used along the boardwalk path to remove lumber etc.? Yes, the contractor will have to submit a plan that the Resource Management Environmental Specialist and park signs off on how equipment and what equipment will be used during construction of the new boardwalk.

Below are questions from NCS on the contractor onsite visit:

1)What is the National Park Service expectation in regards to daily field reports, quality control reports, weekly progress meetings, certified payroll reports, and other NPS reporting systems? This is not a very big project to complete, and the park will have myself and the roads & trails supervisor to handle daily visits to the site to inspect the work from the contractor.

Please refer to the clauses section of the solicitation for daily logs requirements, payroll requirements, and any other reporting requirements.

2) In order to provide a completely accurate price, it would be best to have an interpretation from Mammoth Cave National Park with regards to their Safety Officer's expectation about our work in an area where the potential for drowning exists. Please see the response in Blue from the Safety Officer at MACA.

3) May contractors be in the water or work from a boat while performing the boardwalk work? This is something that the safety officer will have to decide when it comes to OSHA compliance for working around water on the overlooks.

From Safety Officer for working around water during the project:

As a possible bidding source, I can't really provide any particular insight that may not be available to others. I can share that the platform areas average 3' deep in the Spring and may reach 4' with lots of rain. Chest high levels were encountered around the margin during a recent vegetation removal project. I will assume from a safety standpoint the entire parking area will be closed to provide amble room for the contractor parking, equipment, and supplies. Also, a re route or closure for the trail system would be expected. Environmental items would be sinking in several inches of mud and leeches.

Also from Letters of Interpretation:

Section 1926.106(a) does not specify a minimum depth of water where a danger of drowning would exist. However, several factors are relevant to determining whether a danger of drowning exists.

These include the type (i.e., a pool, a river, a canal), depth, presence or absence of a current, height above the water surface, and the use of fall protection.

Depending on the factors present, there are some circumstances where a drowning hazard could exist where workers are near or over water that is less than 2 feet in depth. For example, where workers are not using fall protection and are 10 feet above a river, a worker may fall and be knocked unconscious. Without the use of a life jacket or buoyant work vest, a worker in such a scenario could drown.

When continuous fall protection is used (without exception) to prevent employees from falling into the water, the employer has effectively removed the drowning hazard, and life jackets or buoyant work vests are not needed.

OSHA 1926.106 references to consider:

29 CFR 1926.106(a) states:

Employees working over or near water, where the danger of drowning exists, shall be provided with U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket of buoyant work vests.

29 CFR 1926.106(d) states:

At least one lifesaving skiff shall be immediately available at locations where employees are working over or adjacent to water

There is concern about the pedestrian/bicycle portion of the trail that comes into the work area. If people use that trail, they will be travelling through the work area. This has the potential to be a major safety factor and inhibit the progress of work. Please advise with a final NPS decision on the trail so that we can plan our work cost appropriately. This question was answered above for the contractor to come up with a plan to reroute pedestrian traffic inside the parking lot through the construction zone. The safety officer responded to this in this email as well.