S05_Ver4 RFI Pre-Bid IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0005 CON 556-23-104 _07222026.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 24 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 36C25226B0027
About this file
This is a Request for Information (RFI) response document providing pre-bid clarifications for an Invitation for Bids (IFB) issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs for chilled water piping installation at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, Illinois.
The solicitation (36C25226B0027, Project 556-23-104) requires installation of chilled water piping from Building 188 to Buildings 1, 3, and 48, with valved taps for future use in Building 5. Key clarifications address pricing submission requirements, liquidated damages (none included), bid due date and time (9:00 AM CDT on July 14, 2026, with virtual bid opening at 10:00 AM CDT), and project scope. The Government confirmed that no deduct alternates are to be submitted—only a single lump sum base bid is required. Critical technical requirements include: all buried pipe must be double-wall pre-insulated (DDT) piping per General Note E; above-ground tunnel and above-grade piping shall use field-applied pipe insulation per specification section 230711; temporary plastic wall panels (STARC panels) are acceptable for ICRA requirements; the superintendent may fulfill the CQC Manager role if possessing adequate experience and skills but cannot serve as a dual-hat SSHO; and no tax should be included in proposals. The contractor is responsible for identifying and addressing asbestos-containing materials that will be disturbed during construction, with 2011 survey reports provided for Building 188, Building 3, and the Tramway. The Government will provide the commissioning agent; contractors are not required to procure one. Illinois prevailing wage rates apply, and the contractor is responsible for project completion including management of unexpected groundwater conditions. All previous RFI responses were to be incorporated via Amendment 0003 on or before June 30, 2026.
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RFI Response 06232026
| IFB SOL 36C25226B0027 CON 556-23-104 Chilled Water Piping from Bldg.188 to Bldgs. 1, 3 and 48 for Pre -Bid Solicitation Questions - RECEIVED 05/26/2026 |
| Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) Solicitation for Bidders |
| This IFB Pre-Bid response is intended to clarify the scope, not conflict with it. |
| If a response appears to conflict with the scope, please contact the VA COR. |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | VA / CONTRACTING RESPONSE 06/23/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||||
| 1 | Price Proposal Worksheet and Section 1.3 & Drawing GI001 | The current Price Proposal Worksheet only reflects a single Lump Sum Base Bid. In Paragraph 1.3, and on Drawing GI0001, Statement & Schedule of Bid Items lists four (4) separate Bid Items, the Base Bid and three (3) Alternates. Please reissue a revised Price Proposal Worksheet representing all of the pricing that needs to be submitted for the Bid. | The solicitation documents issued for IFB 36C25226B0027 include a single Lump Sum Base Bid on the current Price Proposal Worksheet. The Government confirms that no deduct alternates are to be submitted for this solicitation. This direction is consistent with the station’s clarification in response to RFI question No. 6. The Government WILL NOT reissue the Price Proposal Worksheet to include the three deduct alternates. | |||||
| Offerors shall submit only a SINGLE LUMP SUM price for the Base Bid, as reflected in the current bid form. | 0002 | |||||||
| 2 | We have been informed that this Project has previously been bid. Have all of the previous PPI Questions and Responses been incorporated into the current Bid Documents? If not, please distribute them for review to quote this Project. | [AE Response: VA-Contracting to respond to questions regarding Solicication. VA will issue the conformed documents to Bidders on 30 June 2026 (VA email to AE dated 12 June 2026).] | 0002 | |||||
| All previous RFI questions and responses will be incorporated via Amendment 0003 on or shortly thereafter June 30, 2026. | ||||||||
| 3 | Instructions…. | |||||||
| Bidders/Offerors | In reviewing this Section, we could not determine whether or not there are Liquidated Damages associated with this Project. Please advise as to what the daily amount is, if they are included in this Project. | A complete search of the solicitation document—covering the General Conditions (FAR 52.236 series), Supplemental Conditions, Special Instructions to Bidders, and all referenced provisions—shows no clause such as FAR 52.211‑12, Liquidated Damages—Construction, nor any project‑specific LD language establishing a daily rate. | 0002 | |||||
| Therefore, this project does not include Liquidated Damages, and no daily LD amount applies. | ||||||||
| 4 | SF 1442 line 13 states bid is due at 10:00a CT. Solicitation page 6 of 60 states bid is due at 9:00a CT. Please confirm which time is correct. | Contracting set the Virtual Bid opening for 10:00 PM (CDT) Bids are due one (1) hour prior to bid opening to avoid any transmission issues. So as stated on Page 6 of the solicitation: | ||||||
| 0002 | ||||||||
| BIDS DUE: Vendor bids are due via email as shown above at 9:00 AM (CDT) on Friday, June 12, 2026. | ||||||||
| The virtual public bid opening will be held at 10:00 AM (CDT) on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the link and/or the phone number provided above. | ||||||||
| AMENDMENT 0001 Published to SAM.gov on June 02, 2026 changes the Bid due date and bid opening. To avoid any risk of a late submission under FAR 52.214‑7 Late Submissions, the enforceable bid due time is 9:00 AM CDT on July 14, 2026, as stated in Solicitation Amendment 0001: | ||||||||
| BIDS DUE: Vendor bids are due via email to the CS and CO as noted |
above NO LATER THAN 9:00 AM (CDT) on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The virtual public bid opening will be held at 10:00 AM (CDT) on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the link and/or the phone number provided above.
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | VA RESPONSE 06/11/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | |
| 5 | Drawing C101 | Keynote 2 references construction fencing but no specifications are included. Please provide. | AE Response: See spec section 010000 par. 1.6.L. | 0002 | |
| 6 | General Requirements Para 1.3A Statement of Bid Item(s) | States: Deductive Alternate No. 3: Base Bid, Minus DEDUCTIVE ALTERNATE NO. 2 MINUS ADDITIONAL Items as described by this Paragraph. Question: Is the value and the scope of work associated with Deductive Alternate No. 1 also to be deducted with the acceptanceof this Alternate No. 3 or as specifically stated in this Paragraph? | FHCC Lovell COR Response: NO ALTERNATE BID DEDUCTS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED. | 0002 | |
| 7 | Solicitation | Please confirm that Building 5 is included in this scope. Title of project doesn't mention Building 5. | FHCC Lovell COR Response: Building 5 valved taps for future use are is in scope. | 0002 | |
| 8 | 01 00 00 Page 1 & Drawing MS001 | This Specifications Page and Drawing references Building 48, however there are no Plans such as MP103 (Last Enlarged Plan) or Specifications mentioning any Chilled Water piping to be installed from Building 3 to Building 48. Please advise. | AE Response: The base bid includes a GPR study for the proposed, future pipe route drawn on F5/MS001 (General Sheet Note D and Keynote 8 on sheet MS001). Pipe construction from Building 3 to Building 48 is excluded from construction documents. | 0002 | |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/08/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | |
| 9 | Please clarify if a superintendent can be a dual hat to cover the requirements of SSHO? | VA FHCC COR: Spec 01 35 26-17 Par 1.9 states SSHO should be a full time employee with no additional duties and be present on every shift. | 0003 | ||
| If no to the question above, will the SSHO need to be full-time for this project? | |||||
| 10 | Please clarify if a superintendent can be a dual hat to cover the requirements of QA/QC? | VA FHCC COR: Ultimately the GC will be required to provide the QC Plan which should include persons responsible for the QC Plan implemetnation. Spec 01 45 00 - 2 states that the superintendent will be held responsible for the quality of work. The superintendent can fulfill the role of the CQC System Manager role as long as the person in the role of the superintendent possesses adequate experience and sklls.. | 0003 | ||
| If no to the question above, will the QA/QC need to be full time for this project? | |||||
| 11 | Can a superintendent be a triple hat to cover the requirements of SSHO and QA/QC? | No | 0003 | ||
| 12 | Please confirm if tax should be included in our proposal? | CONTRACTING: No tax should be included in bidders proposal. Additionally, the winning bid that is determined to be responsive and responsible, will be issued the Illinois Sales Tax Exemption Certificate/VA Tax Exemption Letter confirming that the Illinois Administrative Code 130.2075 allows contractors to purchase materials tax-free when incorporated into VA-owned real property and acquired under the applicable project authority: | 0003 | ||
| 13 | Please provide the latest wage determination for this project’s county. | CONTRACTING: Please see attached document: S06_SAM Wage Rates IL IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_current as of 07012026 | 0003 |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/08/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||
| 14 | Who is responsible for contracting the commissioning agent? | VA FHCC COR/CONTRACTING: The Government/VA provides the following clarification to ensure all bidders have a uniform understanding of responsibilities related to commissioning: | 0003 | |||
| The prime contractor is not required to procure, hire, or contract a commissioning agent for this project. | ||||||
| The Department of Veterans Affairs may, at its sole discretion, retain its own commissioning agent or commissioning consultant to perform verification, inspection, or functional assessments of the completed systems. This Government‑retained commissioning activity is separate from, and does not create any requirement for the contractor to provide a commissioning agent. | ||||||
| Contractors remain responsible for delivering fully functional, code‑compliant, and specification‑compliant systems, including all testing, startup, and quality assurance obligations already defined in the contract documents. However, contractors are not responsible for commissioning‑agent services, nor should bidders include costs for contracting a commissioning agent in their proposals. | ||||||
| 15 | Is the use of temporary plastic wall panels (such as STARC panels) acceptable to meet ICRA requirements? | AE: Temporary plastic wall panels like STARC are expressly allowed in sterile environments (013533 par. 1.3.10.A). Contractor may propose equivalents using the prescribed process (013323 par. 1.5.G.b). | 0003 | |||
| 16 | Will shutdowns be required to be done during off hours or weekends? | VA FHCC COR: Weekend shut down will not be required if installation of the isolation valves and connction to the live system can be done off cooling season. | 0003 | |||
| 17 | Please provide three recommended resources for vendors or contractors local to the project site. | In accordance with federal procurement integrity requirements, the Government cannot endorse or recommend specific vendors, contractors, or suppliers. To ensure full and open competition, offerors are encouraged to utilize publicly available resources to identify firms local to the project site. The following general sources may assist contractors in locating qualified businesses: | 0003 | |||
| 1. | System for Award Management (SAM.gov) – Offerors may search registered vendors by geography, NAICS code, or socio‑economic status. | |||||
| 2. | Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) – PTACs provide no‑cost assistance to vendors seeking government opportunities and maintain regional vendor information. | |||||
| 3. | Local Trade and Contractor Associations – Organizations such as regional builders’ exchanges, mechanical contractor associations, or chamber‑of‑commerce directories often maintain listings of qualified firms serving the North Chicago area. | |||||
| These sources are provided solely as publicly available reference tools. Offerors remain responsible for identifying and vetting their own subcontractors and suppliers. In addition, the attachment file, S04_Site Visit Sign-In-Sheet IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0002 CON 556-23-104_06162026 was posted with Amendment 0002, can be used as a resource. |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/08/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||
| 18 | The documents reference installation of bypass valve assemblies within the deductive alternates. Please clarify whether temporary chilled water bypass piping or temporary cooling systems will be required during tie-ins. If temporary cooling is required, please identify the performance requirements and responsibility for providing temporary equipment. | VA FHCC COR: No deduct alternates will be taken as part of the project. See Amendment 0002 RFI No. 06 above or RFI Responses: | ||||
| 0003 | ||||||
| https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/c4b24f2b072d4921b22e3245d5add92d/view | ||||||
| Bypass assembly will not be needed since there will be no alternate deducts. See Sheet EP102 Detail B8 | ||||||
| 19 | The specifications include Section 31 23 19 Dewatering – please identify if there are known groundwater conditions, historical tunnel flooding, groundwater elevations, and the responsibility for long-term pumping if groundwater exceeds anticipated conditions. | VA FHCC COR: no information on water table elevation is available. No information on tunnel flooding is available. Winning bidder is responsible for delivering the project to its completion. | 0003 | |||
| 20 | Spec Section 01 45 00 | Paragraph 3.1: Verifying that the Project Superintendent can also be the CQC Manager on this Project? | VA FHCC COR: See response to RFI No. 10 above. | 0003 | ||
| 21 | Spec Section 01 74 19 | Paragraph 1.2C: Please verify that there are no locations present on this Project that requires any Lead Paint Remediation. | VA FHCC COR: VA can not confirm. Contractor to perform testing if suspecting hazardous materials. | 0003 | ||
| 22 | Spec Section 02 41 00 | Paragraph 1.2D: Please verify that there are no locations present on this Project that requires any Asbestos Remediation. | VA FHCC COR: VA can not confirm. Contractor to perform testing if suspecting hazardous materials. 2011 asbestos survey is available for Tramway, Building 3, building 188…see attachments as noted below. | 0003 | ||
| S06_Tramway Report Narrative RF1 No. 22 IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_12072011 | ||||||
| S06_Bldg. 3 Report Narrative RF1 No. 22 IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_12142011 | ||||||
| S06_Bldg. 188 Report Narrative RF1 No. 22 IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_12092011 | ||||||
| 23 | Drawing EP103 | Building 3, Partial Floor Plan F4 and Detail Chilled Water Bypass installation Detail E8. Please confirm that the access to this Building tunnel is by entering the stairwell located to the Northwest of the indicated location for this Bypass. | VA FHCC COR: See response to RF No. 06 and RFI No. 18 above. | 0003 | ||
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/17/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||
| 24 | Amendment 0003 includes asbestos survey reports for Building 188, Building 3, and the tramway areas. These reports identify asbestos-containing materials throughout the respective buildings and tramway; however, the contract documents do not appear to provide project-specific quantities or clearly define the exact limits of asbestos abatement required for the chilled-water piping work. | 0004 | ||||
| Please clarify the following: |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/17/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||
| 24 | CONTINUED | Which specific areas and asbestos-containing materials are anticipated to be disturbed by this project? | VA FHCC COR: Only the areas containing asbestos that will be disturbed as part of this project will require remediation. It is up to the contractor to determine the areas and quantities that will require remediation. Many areas identified in the survey will not be within the boundary of the work and will not need to be considered. | 0004 | ||
| Is the contractor expected to include abatement only for materials directly impacted by the piping route, penetrations, access, demolition, and restoration work? | ||||||
| Are there defined quantities that bidders should carry for asbestos abatement? | ||||||
| If no specific quantities are intended, should bidders include an allowance for asbestos abatement? If so, please provide the required allowance amount. | ||||||
| Should bidders provide unit pricing for additional asbestos-containing material encountered beyond the anticipated scope? | ||||||
| Please confirm whether the building-wide quantities identified in the asbestos survey reports are informational only and are not intended to represent the total abatement scope for this project | ||||||
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/22/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||
| 25 | We request clarification regarding the chilled water piping insulation requirements shown in Amendment No. 0003. | AE: | A - 0005 | |||
| Drawing MP102 includes Keynotes 1 and 2, which indicate that the piping shown on that sheet is underground-rated pre-insulated piping and fittings. However, the piping continuations shown on Drawings MP101 and MP103 are identified only as insulated piping and do not specifically reference underground-rated double-wall pre-insulated piping. | i. | Refer to General Note E on sheet MS001, which states, “All buried pipe shall be DDT pipe.” | ||||
| ii. | The terms “DDT” and “pre-insulated pipe” are used synonymously. | |||||
| iii. | Pre-insulated pipe is prohibited in non-buried, above-ground applications | |||||
| iv. | On Sheet MP102, in Keynote 1, delete the phrase “Underground Rated” and the prefix “Pre-.” | |||||
| Please clarify the design intent for the piping transitioning through the tunnel and above-grade portions of the system. | v. | On Sheet MP102, in Keynote 2, delete the phrase “Underground Rated” and the prefix “Pre-.” |
| Question: | |||
| Should the piping shown in the tunnel and above-ground portions associated with Drawing MP102 be furnished as underground-rated double-wall pre-insulated piping, or is standard field-insulated piping acceptable for those sections? | vi. | Pre-insulated piping is prohibited in non-buried, above-ground applications. | |
| vii. | Install field-applied pipe insulation on above-ground pipe, in accordance with section 230711. | ||
| 26 | |||
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