S05-RFI Responses 658-24-109 Solicitation 36C24626B0036-Renovate Patient Restrooms.pdf

658-24-109 RENOVATE PATIENT RESTROOMS

SALEM VA MEDICAL CENTER

RFI QUESTIONS

36C24626B0036

1. Please confirm contractor can triple hat this project (Site Super as the SSHO and QC manager), or if these must be three separate individuals.

ANSWER

The same individual may hold all three required positions. All qualifications for all positions must be met and the individual must be on site at all times work is being performed.

Reminding the offerors that the QCM qualifications require a degreed architect or engineer or construction manager.

2. Confirm full extent of delegated structural engineering required for multiple floor infill conditions (dumbwaiter opening, depressed shower slabs, etc.).

ANSWER

Delegated structural design is required for: 1) the permanent infill of the abandoned dumbwaiter opening at Room 1EF-123 (shown in detail 1/SE100); 2) the concrete patch infill at former depressed shower slabs (identified in details 2,3, and 4 of sheet SE100). The

Contractor shall retain a licensed structural Professional Engineer to investigate the existing construction and design the complete infill systems, including supplemental framing, deck or formwork, concrete or approved leveling material, reinforcement, connections, perimeter detailing, and temporary shoring. Submit sealed calculations and details for A/E review for conformance with the design intent before construction. (refer to: GI002, General Note 11;

SE100, General Notes 1-2 and legend; AE402/AE412)

3. Provide existing slab thickness, concrete strength, reinforcement information, and all structural details needed for floor infill design.

ANSWER

5 1/2" elevated concrete slab: 2" 20 ga. deck with 3 1/2" lightweight concrete topping. (4,000

PSI) including #4 rebar at 16" O.C. Existing slab thickness, strength, reinforcement, framing, and opening dimensions shall be verified in the field by the Contractor's structural engineer.

Concrete patch infill shall match the verified existing slab thickness and strength. Submit the proposed investigation and sealed design before performing structural work. Any condition that prevents the delegated design from meeting the stated criteria shall be reported to the

COR before proceeding. (refer to: SE100, General Notes 1, 2, 7 and legend; GI002, General

Note 11).

For structural details see the following design drawing excerpt and detail covering the dumbwaiter shaft openings and the openings for the depressed shower slabs.

4. Provide missing Division 03 concrete specifications for reinforced concrete/cement-bonded floor infill.

ANSWER

Contractor’s designer for infill slabs and shower depressed slab infill shall provide the specification for the concrete material used as well as the mix design for the concrete.

5. Confirm whether temporary shoring is required below all structural infill locations and any restrictions related to installation/removal.

ANSWER

Temporary shoring is not necessarily required for infill locations. The Contractor's structural engineer shall determine where shoring, bracing, or temporary support is required and include it in the sealed delegated-design submittal. Shoring installation and removal shall maintain building operations, egress, fire protection, infection-control barriers, and protection of occupied spaces below. Coordinate access and timing with the COR before installation or removal. (refer to: SE100, General Note 1; Spec 02 41 00, demolition support/shoring requirements; Spec 01 35 26)

6. Confirm whether new carriers are required for all new wall-hung water closets, or whether any existing carriers may remain and be reused.

ANSWER

Provide new carriers for all new wall-hung water closets. The demolition notes require removal of the existing water closets and carrier frames, and Specification 22 40 00 includes the carrier as part of the new fixture installation. Existing carriers are not identified for reuse.

(refer to: AD400-AD402, Demolition Keynote 6; Spec 22 40 00)

7. Clarify whether floor drains shown to be capped/abandoned must be abandoned in place or removed back to the main.

ANSWER

See drawing note 6 on Sheet PI001 Plumbing General Notes (sheet 27 of 56) for required removal of abandoned / dead leg piping in general, back to the main. For floor drains specifically, they may be capped and abandoned in place rather than removed back to the main.

8. Provide process for handling discrepancies in concealed existing conditions discovered post-award.

ANSWER

See the solicitation, General Conditions # 4.12, 52.243-4 Changes (Jun 2007) and General

Conditions # 4.24 VAAR 852.243-70 Construction Contract Changes – Supplement (Sep

2019). The process for handling discrepancies described in the question is spelled out in the

Changes clause of the Contract, and other applicable clauses, as a differing site condition.

9. Provide anticipated locations and durations of required domestic water, sanitary, electrical, and other shutdowns; confirm if shutdowns may occur outside normal work hours.

ANSWER

Contractor is required to plan and prosecute the work shown on the drawings and specifications, including the outages required, and to provide notice to the VA per the

Contract General Conditions specification 01 00 00 and the applicable specifications for each individual trade. For example, electrical work is covered in detail in Specification Division

26, Plumbing in Division 22, Mechanical in Division 23, etcetera. The process for handling outages is a Contractor responsibility to plan and notify the VA. The means and methods the

Contractor selects for the work must comply with the specifications and the overall project duration and the approved contract schedule, including outages. One strategy for minimizing the impact of utility outages while avoiding impacts to hospital operations is to schedule outages affecting offices, outpatient areas, and other areas that do not handle patients or operate outside of normal work hours, is to schedule those outages during evening, night, weekend, and holiday hours. Outages for this project are an important consideration and the

VA will work with the contractor to schedule the necessary outages without impacting hospital operations. Outages for this project should be detailed on the contractor’s schedule and managed in the progress meetings with two weeks notice routinely.

10. Define what constitutes a ‘major interruption’ requiring 60-day notice and identify any known major shutdowns.

ANSWER

The specifications require the Contractor to notify the VA of interruptions of service, and the

COR will identify at the time of notification if the Contractor has failed to identify a major interruption with the required notice period of 60 days. Major interruptions involve effects on patient care that require the VA to divert patients to other facilities, and other such work that provides significant disruption to the operation of the hospital. The Contractor will be notified if a requested outage requires the greater notification period and is advised to plan and schedule their outages well in advance of the date to permit adequate advance planning.

Service and utility interruptions of all types must be shown on the schedule and shall be covered in the regular project progress meetings.

11. Confirm whether existing restroom exhaust grilles and ductwork are to be reused; clarify replacement and new duct/grille scope where demolition indicates removal.

ANSWER

Existing grilles affected by ceiling demolition shall be demo'd and replaced with new exhaust grilles in new ceiling. (refer to: AD400-AD402, Demolition Keynote 7; AE410-412 RCP's;

23 31 00 and 23 37 00)

12. Confirm whether any existing exhaust fans must be replaced; identify locations, requirements, controls, and electrical needs.

ANSWER

Existing exhaust fans and controls shall remain.

13. Confirm whether hazardous-material abatement is anticipated; provide asbestos/lead surveys and abatement scope.

ANSWER

The building in which all work will take place, 143, has been surveyed and does not contain asbestos containing materials (ACM) or lead paint. Hazardous material abatement is not anticipated.

14. Clarify whether contractor may work on two restrooms per floor concurrently across multiple floors or if two-restroom maximum applies project-wide.

ANSWER

The limitation applies per floor. No more than two restrooms on any one floor may be removed from service before two restrooms on that floor have been replaced and returned to service. Concurrent work on more than one floor is permitted, subject to the COR's approval.

(refer to: GI002, Phasing Note 4A-4B)

15. Provide construction Zone assignments (A, B, or C) for each restroom; confirm weekend/night work requirements.

ANSWER

Currently, all work areas are in Construction Time Zone A. Zone A permits work Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Weekend or nighttime work is not required by the drawings and may occur only when approved by the COR or when necessary for an approved outage or operational constraint. Confirm applicable time zones with the COR at least three weeks before starting work and schedule each work area at least two weeks in advance. (refer to: GI002, General Note 7, Phasing Notes 1 and 4B)

16. Confirm whether temporary restroom facilities are required or whether remaining restrooms suffice.

ANSWER

Temporary restroom facilities are not required.

17. Confirm federal, state, or contractor tax-exempt status for this project.

ANSWER

There is no federal tax exemption nor is there a state tax exemption for this project in the

State of Virginia.

18. Confirm whether award constitutes Notice to Proceed or if NTP will be issued separately.

ANSWER

Notice To Proceed for this project will be issued separately from the contract award.

19. Why is a registered Professional Land Surveyor or Civil Engineer required? (Spec 01 00 00 –

17)

ANSWER

If a registered Professional Land Surveyor or Civil Engineer is required, Spec 01 00 00 at

Paragraph 1.3 j. i. is applicable. Delegated design for the infill slab in the former dumbwaiter shaft requires a professional civil engineer qualified to perform structural design.

20. Clarify need for grading & excavations. (Spec 01 00 00 – 18)

Grading and excavations are not required for this project.

21. Undefined HVAC scope: Provide mechanical drawings, exhaust CFM, pressure criteria, TAB details, duct/grille/fan info, controls, and power requirements.

ANSWER

The project scope is defined in the provided drawings and specifications, including the

HVAC scope. For restrooms that maintain the same number of fixtures, no changes to HVAC aside from minor repositioning of grilles as needed for wall and ceiling changes. For decommissioned restroom BC-104, remove grille and cap duct.

22. Clarify whether AC system warranty applies only to newly installed restroom connections &

TAB work. (Spec 01 00 00 – 25–27)

ANSWER

Clarifying that a separate system warranty is required only for newly installed equipment. All work under this contract is subject to the one year warranty for work, materials, workmanship, and equipment installed or altered.

23. Clarify location of new telephone equipment installation. (Spec 01 00 00 – 35)

ANSWER

New telephone equipment is not required for this project.

24. Confirm whether any government-provided equipment will be supplied; if so, provide details, storage, labor, and scheduling impacts. (Spec 01 00 00 – 37)

ANSWER

Government furnished equipment is not involved in this contract, except that the Government will furnish and install certain restroom accessories after completion of finish work in each restroom. This is not a contractor responsibility but must be accommodated by the contractor prior to re-opening the restrooms for use.

25. Confirm whether cell-phone pictures/clips suffice for photo documentation. (Spec 01 00 00 –

39)

ANSWER

Cell phone photos do not meet the specification requirement for photo documentation. The

Multivista system is one known third party system which meets the requirements for photo documentation contained in specification 01 00 00 paragraph cc beginning on page 39 of that specification and is the basis of design for that requirement.

26. Confirm whether a PDF schedule exported from Microsoft Project is acceptable. (Spec 01 32

16.15 – 2)

ANSWER

PDF schedules may be submitted from acceptable project scheduling software provided all required schedule parameters are supplied and the documents are legible and all other requirements of the specification are met or waived. Microsoft Project does not meet the requirements of specification 01 32 16.15.

27. Confirm whether Superintendent may serve as SSHO & QC Manager. (Spec 01 35 26 – 19)

See answer to Question 1 above.

28. Provide missing ICRA/PCRA assessments per Spec §01 35 26.

ICRA level IV is required for this project. Refer to ICRA standards for the requirements. An

ICRA permit will be furnished prior to commencement of work activities on site and must be posted at each work location.

29. Confirm if Portable Ceiling Access Module is required since most work is in restrooms.

(Spec 01 35 26 – 26)

ANSWER

Portable Ceiling Access Module is required for plumbing and other utilities above ceiling in order to remove abandoned pipes back to the source, and for other situations where work is required outside the confines of restroom walls.

30. Clarify acceptability of HEPA air scrubber recirculation for dust control. (Spec 01 35 26 –

26)

ANSWER

It is Contractor responsibility to provide acceptable negative pressure, acceptable dust control and monitoring, and all other requirements of ICRA permit and process. Contractor’s required dust and air quality monitoring will confirm or refute acceptability of the

Contractor’s selected means and methods of controlling dust.

31. Confirm whether Zip Walls with zipper doors will be acceptable. (Spec 01 35 26 – 26)

ANSWER

Zipper doors do not meet the requirements of ICRA Level IV containment.

32. Provide NPDES permit applicability since work is interior; identify land disturbance limits and permit references. (Spec 01 00 00)

NPDES permits are in place as required for this project. See Spec 01 00 00 for applicable requirements. Project waste including waste being disposed of in a landfill is to be managed according to NPDES and all other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

33. Identify all locations requiring delegated structural design and confirm PE involvement, criteria, and approval process. (GI002, SE100)

ANSWER

See response to Question 2 above.

34. Provide record information and requirements for delegated structural infill (dumbwaiter, shower depression). (SE100)

ANSWER

See response to Question 3 above.

35. Clarify GI002 restroom limit: no more than two restrooms removed before two replaced — confirm per-floor limits and whether multi-floor concurrent work is allowed.

ANSWER

See response to Question 14 above.

36. Confirm required plumbing fixture quantities where PI601 shows 17 fixtures but GI002 shows 18 restrooms.

ANSWER

The required quantity is 17 new water closets and 17 new lavatories, as scheduled on PI601.

The project addresses 18 existing restroom locations, but existing Restroom BC-104 is decommissioned and combined with BC-105 to create one renovated restroom. This reduces the final new-fixture count to 17.

37. Duplicate fixture question: Confirm required quantities and identify restroom without new fixtures. (PI601)

ANSWER

See response to Question 36 above.

38. Provide hazardous-material surveys, abatement specifications, air monitoring, clearance testing, and identify VA or contractor abatement roles. (PI001 Note 16)

ANSWER

See response to Question 13 above.

39. Provide mandatory phasing plan, maximum simultaneous outages, temporary restroom requirements, zone work hours, and outage durations. (GI002)

ANSWER

The phasing strategy including all of the items above is shown on GI002 and is clarified in the responses to questions above. Provide specific questions if anything is not clear.

40. Provide full nurse-call system requirements: Division 27 spec, manufacturer, devices, cabling, programming, outage coordination. (EP400–EP402)

ANSWER

All Nurse Call devices are to be installed on the Salem VAMC’s newly installed ASCOM system, not its legacy JERON system. All devices, wiring, control, and integration with existing servers and controllers is to be performed by qualified installers. Qualifications of the installers showing successful installation of ASCOM components and systems shall be submitted along with the required submission of equipment items, wiring and other required materials.

41. Provide missing firestopping and special-inspection requirements, UL assemblies, rated-wall/floor plans, and special inspection schedule. (PI001 Note 12)

ANSWER

Provide tested and listed firestop systems at all new or modified penetrations through existing fire-rated or smoke-resistive walls, floors, and shaft enclosures. Firestop systems shall be appropriate for the verified existing assembly and penetrating item and shall maintain the existing assembly rating. Submit the applicable UL-listed system details for review before installation. No new rated wall or floor assemblies are included in the restroom renovations; existing rated assemblies shall remain and their ratings shall be maintained.

Special inspections shall be performed by qualified independent inspectors, with reports submitted to the COR and A/E. No separate special-inspection schedule applies to the remaining nonstructural restroom work.

42. Confirm required fire ratings for restroom doors and associated hardware. (AE601)

ANSWER

The restroom doors listed on AE601 have blank fire-rating fields and are not required to be fire-rated under the issued documents.

43. Provide electrical circuit/panel sources, capacity confirmation, luminaire specs, emergency power classification, and control requirements. (EP400–EP402; EL601)

ANSWER

Per Sheet Notes #2: The contractor is required to trace all circuits to identify the breakers serving the rooms.

Per sheet notes #4: Contractor shall demo conductors and conduit back to nearest junction box or source for all demoed devices.

Refer to EL601 for luminaire schedule and 265100 for specification.

Controls: Sheets ""EL"" show occupancy sensor switches for most restrooms. Refer to EI001 for symbols information.

44. Confirm whether fire alarm/sprinkler relocation is required due to ceiling/partition changes and provide required scope. (GI001)

ANSWER

No fire-alarm or sprinkler relocation is included in the base bid. If a field condition or code-required clearance makes relocation necessary, notify the COR before proceeding. (refer to

GI001, Building Code Summary and Specification 01 35 26).

45. Provide corrected, authoritative drawing/specification index and confirm governing bid set.

(GI001; Spec 00 01 15)

ANSWER

The index in Spec 00 01 15 did not list Sheet AE502 however the sheet is part of the Base bid. Follow GI001 for correct index sheet. This RFI response is the governing guidance on how to proceed.