36C24918R0173-001.docx

Department of Veterans Affairs TVHS, Nashville Campus Requirements for A/E Services Project 626-18-202 Upgrade Surgical Suite Air Handling Units

I. GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant shall provide all necessary architectural and engineering services as required to prepare complete contract drawings, specifications, technical reports, and cost estimates, including (optional) construction period services for "Upgrade Surgical Suite Air Handling Units” that serves Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), nuclear medicine and the Surgical Suite in the basement of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus,1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212. Work will include (but is not limited to) mechanical, electrical, architectural, fire protection, controls and limited structural.

II. STATEMENT OF PROJECT OBJECTIVES

It is the intent of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Architecture and Engineering design firm (A/E) to fully survey, investigate, and document the existing space and utility systems in order to gain knowledge and insight and prepare quality, accurate documents in a professional and competent manner to accomplish the following project objectives:

1. This project will upgrade or replace air handling units (AHU) 16 and 17, return fans (RF) and associated equipment in serving Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), nuclear medicine, and the surgical suite. Variable speed drives (VSD’s) and controls will be replaced for the AHUs and RFs. Control devices and alarms will be replaced with the AHUs and RFs connected to the energy management system for monitoring and control. Economizer modes, static pressure, and temperature resets will be utilized. Project will ensure compliance with HVAC Design Guidelines.

2. This project will improve the condition of the facility by correcting the deficiency on the Facility Condition Assessment report, (FCA #290667, Ventilation (outside air and exhaust)) with the redesign and configuration of the return air to not be 100% exhausted and air intake being close to the smoking and parking areas.

3. Improve reliability, monitoring, control and energy efficiency. Use non-priority native BACnet DDC controls and variable speed drives. Implement energy optimization control, such as reset of discharge air temperature, optimal start/stop, occupied/unoccupied and economizer modes. Use variable speed drives. Each drive assembly for each piece of equipment shall redundant or have a bypass and shall fully communicate with the ECC. Integrate new Direct Digital Controls (DDC) controls with existing DDC frontend systems. VA staff shall be able to quickly shut down AHU and air intakes during an emergency response to an airborne contaminant threat. Also, use occupancy sensing in select areas for flow and temperature setback.

4. Provide temporary provisions/phasing plan in the design to allow for the surgical suite, PACU, and Nuclear Medicine to be running during normal operations. These areas will not be shut down during any portion of the construction of the new AHUs.

III. JUSTIFICATION

Area G cannot function without reliable air handling units. This area contains both Cath Lab, PACU and the surgical suite. In the past year, the operating suite air handling unit (AHU 17) completely failed due to its old age. Surgeries had to be scheduled for a week impacting patient care.

Any issue with the outdated air handling units, surgeries will be cancelled and sent elsewhere at a great cost. If they fail during a procedure, patients will be at risk

The existing terminal boxes are pneumatic and do not allow for setbacks. This wastes energy and places added hours on the air handling unit.

Return plenums and fans will allow conditioned air to be recirculated. Currently, 100% of conditioned exhaust air is being blown outside which is a waste of energy.

This project will ensure VHA HVAC design guidelines are met and patients and staff are comfortable New energy efficient motors on AHU's and return fan (RF) will conserve energy & reduce utility costs.

New VSD and controls will be upgraded to allow VA to operate equipment more efficiently.

IV. STATEMENT OF A/E TASKS

A. The A/E shall furnish all services for a complete design development, construction documents, and construction period services as specified in the subject contract.

1. Necessary site survey work such as verifying existing conditions, verifying record drawings, and verifying and analyzing utility systems shall be accomplished in conjunction with preparation of Design Development.

2. AE will coordinate with leading industry equipment manufacturers/vendors to insure proper layout, support, pricing and equipment components/options according to manufacturer’s requirements. However, design drawings and specs shall be generic to promote fair and open competition.

3. Field investigation methods and design documentation methods should be efficient and at the same time meet federal contracting Construction Document (CD’s) practices. Construction companies should be able to bid on the project without conducting a site visit. CD’s must be electronic, but efficient documentation methods can be used, such as overlay of existing drawings, pictures, excel spreadsheets with ref notes, use of key notes, etc.

4. The complete site survey work shall include a thorough investigation of existing conditions to accurately document and convey space dimensions for measured drawings, all utilities for affected areas, and utilities that traverse through affected areas, typical construction type and variations, and finishes. This information provides the necessary base drawings for the Schematic Development phase of Design Development.

5. Investigation shall include use of Test, Adjust &Balance (TAB), IR testing/surveillance, temperature testing/surveillance, visual inspection, DDC trending and other innovative measuring and testing methods. TAB should include areas of PACU, surgical suite, and Nuclear medicine on AHU-16 and 17 as well as mains and main branches. Traverse sections of duct and provide static profiles. Document existing conditions, proposed corrective actions and alternatives. Utility system verification shall include the TAB of affected systems to ascertain the existing operating and performance conditions that will impact the design and construction process.

6. A/E shall design to best practices and industry standards, such as utilization of clean steam for AHU humidification and using UV lighting on AHU and energy coils to assist in maintaining cleanliness.

B. Design shall comply with VA seismic requirements for the Nashville area.

C. Design shall minimize disruptions to medical center operations. Suitable space/access for mechanical room equipment maintenance must be maintained throughout construction. Insure proper life safety, including (but not limited to) egress, proper fire/smoke compartmentation, fire alarm, sprinkler system, etc.

D. A/E shall design within funding limitations. AE shall coordinate cost control measures with COR to design within funding limits. Cost control alternatives shall be explored in Design Development (DD’s).

E. A/E shall provide cost estimation, project scheduling & phasing, bid period and (optional) construction period services. Estimates shall have a full itemized breakout for this VA Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) project.

F. Provide DDC diagrams, points matrix/list and project specific sequence of operations based on TVHS standard sequence of operations.

G. A/E shall develop and execute a quality assurance (QA/QC) plan that establishes the A/E’s team and method of review for the project submission packages, plans and specifications. The project QA/QC process shall be a rigorous, thorough review and coordination effort. QA/QC team member shall be lead by a senior mechanical designer, other than the one(s) working on this project design. The QA/QC plan shall be submitted to the VA along with the project schedule. Within 14 calendar days after receipt of Notice to Proceed, the Contractor shall submit a detailed QA/QC plan describing each QA/QC task that will be taken during the development of the various design submission packages and the name of the A/E’s team member(s) responsible for QA/QC. Upon its completion, each task shall be initialed and dated by the responsible QA/QC team member. A 100% completed QA/QC plan, with all items resolved/initialed/dated shall be submitted with the final construction document submission package.

H. A/E shall provide bid document preparation in quantities as specified in the contract. VA shall manage the shipping and handling to prospective bidders.

I. A/E shall provide professional design and construction period services utilizing individuals who are adequately knowledgeable of the various design disciplines as required by the project. Changes in personnel from those who are proposed in negotiations, interviews, kick-off meeting, and/or A-E submission forms must be approved in writing. The services of an industrial hygienist familiar with asbestos abatement will be utilized in the event asbestos is found present and would impact the work. The registered individuals who will stamp the completed documents shall accomplish engineering design work.

J. A/E shall design within funding limitations. AE shall coordinate cost control measures throughout design. Primary cost control alternatives shall be thoroughly explored in Design Development (DD’s). The A/E shall design for a total construction budget of $4,250,000 to $4,750,000 and will identify 20 percent of the total construction budget as viable deductive construction alternates. This will require individual estimates by clearly defined, easily deductible work.

K. Energy efficiency and cost savings shall be considered in design decisions and shall be addressed in each submission and review meeting.

VI. BASIS FOR DESIGN:

A. Department of Veterans Affairs standards may be obtained from the Internet at http://www.cfm.va.gov/TIL/. Also see VA Design Manuals at http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dManual.asp B. Review VA AE Quality Alerts from the TIL. Special attention to HVAC, Plumbing and Electric Alerts.

C. Design conditions for all spaces shall be maintained in accordance with the current version of ASHRAE Standard 55.

D. Comply with relevant section of the TVHS Energy Conservation Requirements and Design Guide, attached. Latest version of the TVHS Energy Conservation Requirements and Design Guide will be provided to the selected A-E.

E. NAIMA 3E Plus program may also be accessed through the Department Of Energy Industrial Technology Program website.

F. Design shall conform to VA-PG-18-9 Space Planning Criteria. http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/index.asp.

G. Comply with VA HVAC Design Guidelines at www.cfm.va.gov/til/dManual.asp. Indoor air quality requirements must be met / maintained, such as outside air percentages, air changes / CFM, and humidity. Design shall maintain building envelopes to prevent moisture infiltration and possible mold growth.

H. Compliance with the Physical Security design manuals for Mission Critical VA Facilities.

I. Comply with ADA, ABA and the VA PG-18-13 Barrier Free Design Guide. http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/index.asp J. Comply with VA TIL, PG-18-15, AE Design Submissions and Review. http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/aeDesSubReq.asp K. Other related referenced standards and VA guidance:

1. VA TIL, PG-18-3, Design and Construction Procedure

a) Topic 15 - Energy efficient and sustainable design policy for VA new construction

b) Topic 16 - Sustainable buildings policy for new and VA Renovation construction L. Comply with current federal, national and international building codes and applicable state and local building codes and standards, as well as codes/standards from other recognized authoritative bodies. This includes, but is not limited to, authoritative bodies such as Associated Air Balance Council (AABC), American Concrete Institute (ACI), Acoustical and Insulating Materials Association (AIMA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Gypsum Association (GA), International Building Code (IBC), National Electric Code (NEC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB), National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), Electronic Industry Alliance/ Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA), American Disabilities Act (ADA), American Barriers Act (ABA) and other applicable codes referenced in the VA design guidelines and Master Specifications. Designers shall indicate each applicable code with the current date, revision, version indicated on one sheet, including each applicable VA Guidelines / Standards. Submit this with the Schematic Design Submission and include with drawing packages.

VII. DETAILED SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Program Guide PG-18-15, establishes the guidelines for the A/E submissions. Design shall be performed and submitted in accordance with VA AE Submission Instructions for Minor and NRM Construction Program. Refer to (http://www.cfm.va.gov/contract/aeDesSubReq.asp). These guidelines indicate a minimum level for submission compliance, which may not be adequate for certain, types of design. In some instances, in which critical decisions need to be made, sufficient and relevant information has to be provided timely in order for the design to progress to meet certain milestone dates. The level of applicability of the program guide depends upon the scope of work and the exclusions, which are herein specified. Questions in regards to the applicability of specific requirements shall be resolved with the medical center staff prior to any submission deadline. Within this scope of work, where “days” are stated, this refers to “calendar” not “work” days.

A. In addition to the deliverables in the Requirements for AE Design Submissions in the VA Technical Information Library (http://www.cfm.va.gov/contract/aeDesSubReq.asp), please provide the following:

1. AE QA mark-ups of each submission with the corrected submission.

2. AE Submission Requirements Checklists from the VA Technical Information Library filled out by the AE with each submission.

3. Pre-TAB Air Balance Reports with traverses of mains/main branches and duct static profiles.

Design Kick-off Meeting

1 Day

Gov’t Review

5 Days

Onsite SD Review Meeting and Field Investigation

1 day

Gov’t Review

5 Days

Onsite DD1 Review Meeting and Field Investigation

1 day

Gov’t Review

5 Days

Onsite DD2 Review Meeting and Field Investigation

1 day

Gov’t Review

5 Days

Onsite CD1 Review Meeting and Field Investigation

1 day

Gov’t Review

5 Days

Onsite CD2 Review Meeting and Field Investigation

1 Day

Total

147 days

I. Construction Specifications - Project specifications shall include specifications for all products, materials, equipment, methods and systems shown on the construction drawings in accordance with standard professional practice and the resulting contract. The specification submitted for review shall include: The name of the manufacturer, the product name, model number, or other identification as appropriate to clearly identify the product that will be used in the construction of the project.

J. Final bid documents shall be reproduced as part of the contract. Two 2 full sets and 2 half set of the Construction Bid Documents are to be delivered to the COR. Electronic files of the Construction Bid Documents will be provided to the COR and Contracting Officer.

K. The required stamp of the licensed architect or engineer of record will be considered as certification of compliance with the contract requirements.

L. Total time to accomplish Schematics, DDs, and CDs through final reproduced bid documents shall be 147 calendar days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed. Each submission will require a maximum of 5 calendar days for VA review, depending upon the A/E responsiveness addressing previous VA comments and A/E quality control. A/E shall prepare a submission schedule based upon their understanding of the design and their staffing workload. The schedule is negotiable so that the timeframes are mutually agreeable to the A/E and VA.

VIII. CONSTRUCTION PERIOD SERVICE REQUIREMENTS:

The following items will be furnished to the A/E after selection:

A. Drawing Files – AutoCAD and pdf files of the campus site plan and architectural floor plans are available. Station utility drawings are hard copy only and will be made available for the AE to copy and scan. The accuracy of drawings is not guaranteed and shall be used for general information only. Actual conditions shall be field verified by the A/E.

B. TVHS Energy Requirements and Design Guide.

Project 626-18-202 Upgrade Surgical Suite Air Handling Units