Solicitation Questions and Answers.pdf

Solicitation Questions and Answers 36C24924R0079

Project # 596A4-19-106

Question 1 The specs and drawings show 3 card readers. Are the card readers to be included in the quote, or will they be provided by the VA?

Answer: Card readers are to be furnished, installed and programmed by the contractor.

Question 2 What specific card reader system is currently being utilized?

Answer: Tyco Software House – ISTAR Panels.

Question 3 What is the process to obtain a badge for this facility?

Answer: Contractor will attend VA new contractor orientation. During orientation sponsorship paperwork will be filled out at VA. Contractor will be responsible for scheduling finger printing and badge pickup with web address to be provided by VA after award.

Question 4 Is there a cost associated with the badging process?

Answer: No known costs are associated with the VA badging process.

Question 5 Where can the temporary toilet facilities be located for bidding purposes?

Answer: Contractor will be allowed to place temporary toilet facilities in grass outside of gates. Specific location will be confirmed once contract is awarded.

Question 6 Who are the current facility’s providers for the below system?

a. Fire Suppression – Answer: No specific vendor.

b. Fire Alarm System - Answer: Simplex

c. PACS System – Answer: Tyco Software House – ISTAR Panels. Maintenance of system is JCI.

d. Intercom System – Answer: N/A se question 11. Parking garage intercom is standalone.

Question 7 Drawing G001 General Note P states “General Contractor shall host online construction management software for the duration of the project. General Contractor to provide the VA a digital copy of submittal exchange documents at project close out.”

Would a platform like ProCore be sufficient for this requirement?

Answer: Procore is acceptable.

Question 8 Specification 01-00-00-1.5.D.7 states all electronic information shall be stored in specified location following VA standards and procedures using an Engineering Document Management Software (EDMS) and continues on in subsection “a” to state:

a. Security, access and maintenance of all project drawings, both scanned and electronic shall be performed and tracked through the EDMS system.

Does the VAMC provide access to the EDMS or would a platform like ProCore be sufficient?

Answer: Procore is sufficient.

Question 9 Specification section 01-00-00-1.11.A states: A registered professional land surveyor or registered civil engineer whose services are retained and paid for by the Contractor shall perform services specified herein and in other specification sections. The Contractor shall certify that the land surveyor or civil engineer is not one who is a regular employee of the Contractor, and that the land surveyor or civil engineer has no financial interest in this contract.

What scope of work or task(s) on this project requires this specification section to be followed?

Answer: This general spec may not be applicable. Typically site grading or placement of buildings requiring coordinates will have this apply.

Question 10 Specification Section 01-33-23-1.6.E. states: Provide electronic documents over 5MB through an electronic FTP file sharing system. Confirm that the electronic FTP file sharing system can be accessed from the VA computer network. The Contractor is responsible for setting up, providing, and maintaining the electronic FTP file sharing system for the construction contract period of performance.

Question 11 Specification Section 27 51 23 Intercommunications and Program Systems 1.1.a. states this section specifies a new and fully operating Video Intercom (IC) System.

a. Is this a stand-alone system or does it need to tie into an existing system? Answer:

Intercom system is standalone.

b. If this system is to tie into an existing system, who is the current provider of the existing system to be integrated with? Answer: System is standalone for parking garage.

Question 12 Drawing G001 General Note P states “General Contractor shall host online construction management software for the duration of the project. General Contractor to provide the VA a digital copy of submittal exchange documents at project close out.”

Question 13 Drawing AE501 Detail 3 shows a removable bollard and it states to Install per manufacturer’s recommendations for ASTM F3016 Crash Test.

What is the basis of design for the removable bollards?

Answer: Contractor to provide submittal based on Detail 3 on AE501. A/E and VA will review submittal. Removal bollards shall be 42” above finished grade and meet ASTM F3016.

Question 14 Drawing GI005 shows Level III ICRA Requirements.

Is this only applicable to Room C110 on Level 1 as depicted on AE101 Level 1 New Work or to the entire project to include all three gate entrances?

Answer: Level III ICRA will not apply to whole project but is most restrictive ICRA where patient population is. Working in garage will have lower ICRA level due to being outside / in parking garage area.

Question 15 What is the basis of design on the Latex Mastic Deck Covering (Specification Section 07 14 21)?

Answer: Basis of design not required. Mastic Deck Covering to be submitted and reviewed per specifications. Finish installed should match existing coloring to best match as possible.

Question 16 Drawing AE401 Detail 5 shows the height of the new guard shack booth from floor to ceiling at 7’6”. This booth appears to sit on a 6” concrete pad. This would put the booth at 8’ 00” from bottom of pad to ceiling. It was noticed at the site visit that the current booth went above the drop ceiling approximately 18”.

a. Is the intent for the new booth to be above the drop ceiling height like the existing booth or is the drop ceiling height to be adjust? Answer: Above the drop ceiling height is the intent as the existing is.

b. If the intent is to adjust the drop ceiling height, are there any obstructions that would interfere with this adjustment? Answer: N/A

Question 17 Drawings AE102 and AE103 shows items 32.02 (Automatic Folding Arm Traffic Barrier) and

32.08 (New Vehicle Gate Arm loop to exit in existing location). Gates 1 and 2 call for note 32.02 to be installed and Gate 3 calls for note 32.08 to be installed.

What is the difference between the two items?

Answer: See response to Question 19.

Question 18 Drawings AE102 and AE103 shows items 26.01 (Parking Garage Card Reader / Intercom) and

26.05 Parking Garage Reader / Intercom in existing location)

a. Are the card readers that are to be utilized new or existing? Answer: New

b. If the card readers are new, does the VAMC provide these or the contractor? Answer:

Contractor.

c. If these card readers are new, are they supposed to tie into an existing system?

Answer: Yes.

d. If these card readers are to tie into an existing system, who is the current system provider for the card readers / intercom system? Answer: Tyco Software House – ISTAR Panels.

Question 19 Drawing AE401 Permanent Parking Booth schedule misc. items lists both a barrier gate (basis of design Engineered Parking Systems 301-16) and a parking gate (Magnetic Gate Openers – automatic parking gate with articulated arm). Engineered Parking Systems has discontinued this item.

a. Are the two items (barrier gate and parking gate) the same thing? Answer: Barrier gate is 32.08 on AE plans while parking gate is 32.02 on AE plans.

b. If they are the same thing, what basis of design should be utilized for bidding purposes? Answer: Barrier gate shall utilize ParkingBOXX or similar function as basis of design for bidding purposes.

c. The basis of design information provided on drawing AE401 and specification 11-12- 00 Parking Control Equipment seems to conflict and be somewhat confusing. For bidding purposes, can this be more clearly explained as it pertains to the basis of design? Answer: Intent is laid out in Summary section 1.1. Gates 1 & 2 will have PIV card readers on the entrance with loop detector on exit. Gates 1 & 2 will have the Parking Gate 32.02. Gate 3 will have Barrier gate 32.08 with a coded car operation.

d. What would be the new basis of design be as the Engineered Parking Systems item 301-16 has been discontinued? Answer: Barrier gate shall utilize ParkingBOXX or similar function as basis of design for bidding purposes.

Question 20 Drawing AE101 Note 3.08 states dashed line delineates the extent of the latex mastic deck covering at each gate. Specification section 07-14-2-1.2. B, states Installers Qualifications: Work is to be performed by installer having three (3) years’ experience for work relating to this section and approved in writing by latex mastic deck covering manufacturer. Submit installer qualifications

a. With the installer needing to be approved by the manufacturer, what is the basis of design on this product? Answer: See question 15 response. Installer will not be required to have 3 years working experience for a specific basis of design, but for a product that meets the specification.

b. The dash line that delineates the extent of work encompasses the concrete islands. Do the concrete islands get covered with this product? Answer: Yes.

Question 21 Specification section 01-35-26-1.9 states A. The Prime Contractor shall provide a Safety oversight team that includes a minimum of one (1) person at each project site, for each shift, to function as the Site Safety and Health Officer (SSHO), and an Alternate Safety Officer.

The Prime Contractor shall provide a minimum of one “Full-Time” SSHO at each project site, for each shift (with no other duties) that holds as current, a professional safety certification with at least 3 years of dedicated construction safety related experience.

In reference to the specification listed above, it appears that this project is requiring a full time superintendent and a full time SSHO to be present at all times. We have found with projects of this size and complexity, that a qualified superintendent has successfully performed both roles.

By doing this, it has allowed for a cost saving in the bidding process that may or may not be beneficial to this project.

Can a qualified superintendent also perform the SSHO role for this project?

Answer: Yes. Superintendent can also perform the SSHO role for this project.

Question 22 Are offerors allowed to include a cover and table of contents with our Technical and Price Proposals? If so, please confirm they will not count against the page limits.

Answer: Offerors may choose to provide cover sheets and table of contents but will count towards page limitations unless otherwise noted.

Question 23 Do offerors need to include the completed Representations and Certifications with our Price Proposal? If so, will they be included in the page limit?

Answer: Include what is stated in the solicitation. The solicitation states what is excluded from the page limitations.

Question 24 Page 6 of 58 of the solicitation states that, “The Offeror’s Price Proposal shall be no more than 25 pages inclusive of the bid bonds required. The Offeror is hereby advised that the attached “Pricing Schedule” worksheet shall be considered as 20 pages, regardless of the overall total.”

We are required to include the SF 1442, acknowledgment of amendments and our bid guarantee.

The SF 1442 is 2 pages, and bid bonds are typically approximately 5 pages. Therefore, those documents will require at least 7 pages, which will cause us to exceed the 25-page limit for the proposal if the price schedule is counted as 20 pages. Please either increase the page limit for the Price Proposal or remove the statement that the Pricing Schedule worksheet shall be considered as 20 pages.

Answer: Page limitation will remain as is.

Question 25 The requirement for Factor 3 – Past Performance states that we shall “life three (3) only prior clients…” while the Standard for Acceptability states that “This factor is met when up to a minimum of three past performance questionnaires with a rating of satisfactory or above that the offeror has worked with in the past five (5) years are received.” Please clarify if we are limited to providing three client references or if you will accept more than three.

Answer: As long as at least three (3) are provided, it doesn’t matter if more are submitted.

Question 26 In Factor 3 – Past Performance, will the Government accept completed CPARS reports in lieu of questionnaires?

Answer: Yes, if questionnaires cannot be obtained, CPARS are acceptable.

END OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS