550-22-102 RFIs and Responses.pdf

RFI LIST:

Date:

Project:

Project #:

Solicitation #:

RFI # RFI VA RESPONSE

Per the solicitation RFP, proposals are to be mailed in or delivered in person. Due to the proximity of bidders & locations, can the contractor submit proposals by electronic mail in lieu of mail or hand delivery? No electronic bids will be accepted as stated in the solicitation

2 Will there be an online conference call for the public bid opening? No Virtual bid opening will be available

Considering the scope of work is removing and installing new devices for the fire alarm systems in building 58 & 98 on multiple floors, the contractor feels that the POP of 180 days does not seem realistic. Has the VA reviewed this POP with the building end users and engineering and determined this scope of work and amount is doable in 6 months’ time frame (180 Days)?

Period of Performance estimate is being updated.

Section 28 31 00 1.1.E states the main fire alarm panel shall transmit alarm signals to the campus master panel. The question is what alarm signals need to be transmitted just a general alarm or each addressable device? As that is not stated in the documents.

The Building 58 and 98 fire alarm panels are required to be connected to the campus master panel network to enable alarm, trouble, and supervisory signals to be transmitted to the central station. Spec Section 28 31 00 para. 1.2.F.1 indicates this information and will be updated to include supervisory signals, as the specification currently only includes alarm and trouble signals.

Spec section for fire alarm systems requires conduits and backboxes for the new system. Note 3 on drawing 00-FA001 notes the survivability of the system in a metal raceway within buildings, seems to indicate that new fire alarm & emergency notification system is to be installed in brand new conduit in the existing overhead ceilings. This is somewhat different than current fire alarm wiring is loose lay with J-Hooks. Is metal conduit required for the new fire alarm system wiring?

Fire alarm circuits are required to be in metal conduit per Spec Section 28 31 00 para. 3.1.A and the VA Fire Protection Design Manual.

Upgrade Fire Protection and Emergency Notification (CON) 550-22-102 36C25223B0022

7/24/2023

Who is the VA's system provider for the existing fire alarm system? Can another systems vendor be considered in lieu of the existing fire alarm systems?

The existing fire alarm systems are Simplex. The new fire alarm systems can be of any manufacturer that meets all requirements of the project drawings and specification.

If all new conduit is required in the overhead ceilings for the fire alarm system and not the use of loose-laid wiring on J-hooks, the POP of 180 days appears to not be doable for the scope of building 58 & 98 multiple floors. Can you re-evaluate the POP? Refer to item 3.

The drawings indicate that new system is to be installed in parallel with the existing fire alarm system operational. Once the new system is tested and put on-line, the existing fire alarm system and devices can be removed. Since this is a multiple building / floor project, can the system be installed in phases for either floor or operation spaces rather than waiting for complete system installation? Are there any priority areas that need the new system operational first?

The system can be installed in phases by floor or other discrete area, as long as the new fire alarm system on each floor or area is installed, tested, accepted and made operational prior to demolition of the existing fire alarm system on each floor or area.

See Specification 01 00 00 para. 1.6.G indicates this information and will be updated to acceptance requirements to ensure clarity of requirement. There are no priority areas.

Will the owner accept the use of Procore Project Management software as the primary submittal and data tracking tool for this project? SubmittalExchange is the only software that is pre-approved.

For planning the preliminary project schedule, can you please provide an anticipated award date? No award date available yet

Can the superintendent also hold the Quality control and SSHO rolls on this project? Yes

Can the contractor setup a temporary office within the building in lieu of a construction trailer? No

Can the work of this project be completed during normal working hours, not nights and weekends?

Refer to 01 00 00. Standard contractor work hours at the hospital are 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Areas protected by class 2 or less will required night work to limit disruption to the staff. Some areas, including areas requiring Class III ICRA barriers, may require weekend work to minimize downtime to areas in the hospital. Refer to VA COR for additional information.

Can the owner confirm that the General Contractor is to not include any Asbestos or Lead Removal? An environmental survey was included as reference. It’s hard to tell by the report if asbestos really is in or affects the scope of this work.

02 41 00 requires contractor to coordinate with VA's abatement contractor.

Have the actual areas of work for the fire alarm system upgrades been checked for asbestos, lead based materials, or other hazardous materials?

02 41 00 requires contractor to coordinate with VA's abatement contractor.

Can you confirm that the owner will be contracting directly with a third-party commissioning agent for commissioning the project and that the Contractor is only to include participation/coordination with the Commissioning Agent?

refer to 01 91 00. VA is providing the commissioning agent.

Contractors specific requirements of participation/coordination is detailed in the specification.

Has the facility Operation & Maintenance team reviewed the Contract Documents for operability to avoid change orders? Yes

Are there certain manufacturers required on this project due to existing systems and facilities? Refer to Item 6.

Can the contractor use the existing restroom facilities in the work area or adjacent ones nearby?

Yes, as long as dirt, dust, or debris is not tracked in the hallways or left in the restrooms.

Many VA campuses are beginning to address Tuberculosis protocols on VA campus projects. Are there any TB required protocols for this campus/project? No.

Will you provide a copy of the site visit attendance and sign-in sheet in amendment? Yes

22 Is CAT 6A a requirement for this project instead of CAT 6? CAT 6A is not a requirement for this project.

Can the existing service and/or public elevators be used for construction activities? Are there any restrictions or time constraints?

Service elevators can be used for moving materials. Debris must be moved in covered carts.

Where is the designated contractor job site trailers and employee parking?

Trailer area is next to south water tower. Parking is near trailers or in Parking Lot E.

Where is the designated contractor area for trash dumpsters?

A dumpster location will be designated by the COR at construction time, to deconflict with other construction projects. Expect it to be near the building.

Riser drawings note connecting to the existing campus master panel network. What brand and model is the existing master panel? The existing campus master panels are Simplex 4100U panels.

Is the connection to the master campus network to be via fiber optics?

As indicated in various drawing keynotes, the new fire alarm panels are either to be connected to the existing campus master panel network by fiber optics or the new panel could be connected to the existing campus master panel located in each building to enable signals to be transmitted to the network.

28 If fiber optics, is it single-mode or multi-mode? Type of fiber optic cable to be determined by contractor.

29 Is there an existing central computer? Is it text only or graphic?

The Building 58 and 98 fire alarm panels are required to be connected to the campus master panel network to enable alarm, trouble, and supervisory signals to be transmitted to the central station. There is no graphic information that needs to be transmitted through the campus master panel network.

Ref drawing 00-FA001- The scope of work indicates existing conduits and boxes will not be re-used. If the new device is being installed in the same location as the existing device can the conduit and box be reused? Several areas have clay tile walls which have conduit embedded. If conduit is not being re-used, is it required to cut and chase the wall to remove the old conduit?

The new system is required to be installed in parallel with the old system. Removal of the old system only occurs after the new system is operational. As such, it is not possible to install new devices in the same location as an existing device. Per Specification 28 31 00 para. 3.1.D, all existing accessible conduit from the existing system shall be removed. If the conduit is embedded in the wall, it is permitted to be marked and abandoned in place.

Reference SF1442- A duration of 180 days is provided. Without taking into consideration equipment lead-time, the onsite work will require 365 days due to the ongoing staffing shortages. Lead time of some fire alarm equipment has been up to 1 year depending on the type of equipment. Can 365 days be provided for construction itself and an administrative NTP issued for submittals and equipment manufacturing?

The Period Of Performance is being updated.