Questions and Responses 1- 43 657-24-111JC.docx

657-24-111JC Renovate Ambassador suite & Main Lobby Bldg 1 Questions & Responses

1. Ref spec 01 45 00 Part 1.4- Will an onsite QC manager with 20 plus years supervision experience be acceptable in lieu of a graduate engineer, graduate architect, or graduate of construction management QC Manager ?

a. QC and project manager with at least 5 years’ experience and 3 similar projects are acceptable. See evaluation factor 3 for more specific details.

2. Ref spec 02 82 11 Part1.1, B Extent of Work- Will quantities be provided for asbestos abatement?

a. Regulated Building Materials Survey Report, dated 07/28/2025, attached. Ambassador Suite, Corridors H118 and H119, Gray/Black backing associated with Tan Speckled Linoleum, 2% Chrysotile, 300 SF and Ambassador Suite, Pharmacy Waiting Room B102, White Pipe Insulation, 60% Chrysotile, 65 LF.

3. Please advise if the designated SSHO and Competent Person role can be fulfilled by the site superintendent? Or, will the SSHO be a full time separate person?

a. Superintendent may serve as the safetly officer but not the project manager or quality control manager. See factor 3 special note for specific details.

4. Will the commissioning agent be provided by the general contractor or by the VA? Spec section 019100-23, B1 mentions the commissioning agent is by the contractor but 019100-23,1.10 says the commissioning agent is by the VA.

a. CxA excluded by AE. Commissioning agent to be provided by GC.

5. Specification 028211 please indicate quantities for asbestos abatement.

a. See response to #2.

6. Specification 028333 please indicate quantities for lead abatement.

a. Lead report attached. No lead abatement required.

7. Sheet AD101 & AD102 note R mentions abatement requirements on sheets HA101 and HA 102, please provide sheets HA101 and HA 102.

a. Disregard reference to HA101 and HA102; see also response to #2.

8. Sheet G-011, has a photo with a note mentioning temporary ADA floor and roof covering. Please advise on details for the temporary ADA flooring and roof covering? Is this to be made out of wood, concrete, steel? Will it be open to the outside elements or will this be a tunnel? How large does it need to be?

a. Contractor to provide code compliant concrete pad and scaffold-like structure with overhead cover to limit elements.

9. Sheet G-011, please advise on details for temporary door at each temporary entrance? What security measures are required? Will it be hollow metal or aluminum?

a. Security to be cylinder lockset supplied by the VA. Door shall be aluminum.

10. Sheet A-101, floor plan notes 2 & 3 mention DIRTT wall system referencing note “V”. Please provide specification for the DIRTT walls or is Spec section 098433 sound absorbing wall panels the DIRTT specification?

a. Refer to Spec section 09 84 33 Sound-Absorbing Wall Units.

11. Sheet A-301 detail 4 mentions 3-Form panel, please provide specification for the 3-form panel.

a. Refer to Spec section 10 14 00 Interior Signage.

12. Sheet A-301 detail 5 mentions acoustical panels by merge –works see product sheets section A4.01 of narrative. Please provide narrative for merge-works.

a. Disregard reference to MergeWorks.

13. Sheet A-301 detail 5 who provides and installs the wall photos?

a. High resolution images will be provided by the AE. Installation shall be coordinated and executed by the Contractor. Means and methods may result in Contractor coordinating with sound absorbing wall panel manufacturer and/or field installing graphic on wall panel.

14. Sheet A-102 at room B100Q shows a section 2/A-502 new drywall soffit. Notation at room B100M says existing soffit typical. Do rooms H100U, B100Q, B100P, B100N and B100M get new drywall soffit at the windows?

a. The soffit exists in all rooms listed. Maintain the existing soffit, patch and repair as necessary.

15. How do the COR, PM, and VAMC staff envision the phasing working operationally?

a. Department relocations will be decided when a finalized construction schedule is received. Refer to contract documents in its entirety, including phasing plans G-007, G-008, G-009, G-010, and Specification 01 00 00, Section 1.7.J.

16. Which areas absolutely cannot be shut down during normal business hours?

a. Work will be performed during standard duty hours, provided that operational noise levels remain within OSHA-permitted thresholds. Should noise exceed these limits, alternative scheduling outside normal working hours will be implemented to maintain compliance and minimize disruption. Refer to contract documents in its entirety, including phasing plans G-007, G-008, G-009, G-010, and Specification 01 00 00, Section 1.7.J.

17. Which phases or areas should the contractor expect to work nights or weekends?

a. See response to #2

18. How accurate are the existing-condition drawings in this portion of Building 1?

a. All existing conditions drawings shall be verified by the Contractor, and any discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the VA COR. The AE prepared contract documents utilizing VA provided as-built documents and in-house 3d-scanning technology for readily accessible areas imported as point cloud to BIM.

19. Where can we stage material, place a dumpster, and receive deliveries?

a. The VA COR will assign staging, dumpster, and delivery locations as close to the work site as practical at NTP. Refer to Specification 01 00 00, Paragraphs 1.4.B, 1.7.A, and 1.7.D.

20. How many other contractors are we expected to work around, what is their access to our areas, and can we get contacts for them?

a. No list, approximate number, or contact information for other contractors will be provided. The COR will facilitate coordination of access to overlapping work areas as needed in accordance with Specification 01 00 00, Paragraph 1.7.P, and FAR 52.236-8 (Other Contracts).

21. Is the 7:30 AM delivery and debris cutoff intended for all material deliveries, or primarily debris and disruptive deliveries?

a. All material deliveries unless approved by VA COR during construction look-ahead meeting.

22. What path do you expect us to use for debris removal?

a. Debris removal will be dictated by Infection Prevention (IP) through the ICRA process, generally utilizing the freight/service elevator and exiting through the loading dock. Final routes and procedures will be determined by IP during ICRA review in accordance with Specification 01 00 00, Paragraph 1.4.B.

23. Where is contractor parking?

a. Contractor parking will be assigned by the VA COR at NTP, typically near or at the designated laydown yard. Refer to Specification 01 00 00, Paragraph 1.6.E. Patient and visitor parking is prohibited.

24. Where do you expect the temporary departments to relocate during each phase?

a. Department relocations will be decided when a finalized construction schedule is received. Refer to contract documents in its entirety, including phasing plans G-007, G-008, G-009, G-010, and Specification 01 00 00, Section 1.7.J. VA and Contractor shall collaborate to coordinate schedule throughout course of construction. Price should be based on assumption that there will be no downtime due to VA staff relocation.

25. For temporary relocations, who handles computers, phones, data, pharmacy equipment and other VA equipment?

a. Contractor shall move and store furniture and equipment per Specification 01 00 00, Section 1.7.E. Relocation of active VA IT, telecommunications, and pharmacy equipment shall be coordinated with the COR.

26. How long can the Main Entrance actually be unavailable for?

a. To be determined by Contractor schedule. While there may be a period of Main Entrance unavailability, the Main Lobby will remain accessible through temporary entrances.

27. What is your expectation for temporary weather protection once we open the exterior envelope?

a. The interior shall be protected from weather at all times.

28. Can you locate the location and severity of the existing leak and moisture problem the project is intended to solve?

a. No, there is speculation that the water infiltration is at the skylight and migrating to the wall.

29. Has the leak been positively diagnosed, or is the proposed design intended to solve what is believed to be the cause?

a. NO

30. Can you identify the potential locations of the asbestos or lead-containing materials?

a. See response to #2.

31. Is the July 2025 hazardous material survey the full basis for abatement, and can it be provided to bidders?

a. See response to #2.

32. Where can negative air machines exhaust?

a. To the exterior or mobile containment cart.

33. Where are the nearest outside-air intakes?

a. Nearest to what? Contractor to field verify.

34. What building systems are most difficult to shut down here?

a. All systems are critical to occupied facility; shutdowns to be coordinated with COR.

35. What are your normal outage windows and how much notice do Facilities require?

a. Notice is 21 days minimum.

36. Are there any existing systems serving areas outside our construction limits that run through these ceilings?

a. Yes.

37. For seismic restraint, are you expecting one coordinated delegated-design package or individual stamped packages from each trade?

a. Seismic restraint shall meet the requirements of Specifications Section 13 05 41.

38. Are there any owner specified vendors that the GC will need to coordinate?

a. BMS and access control work shall integrate with existing Automated Logic and Software House systems. Coordinate with ACES (BMS) and PASS Security (access control) through the VA COR.

39. Bid documents contain conflicting POPs of 330 or 218 days. Please clarify.

a. 330 days.

40. There is conflicting information about how the bond should be delivered, in person vs. electronically. Please clarify.

a. Electronically.

41. Sheet A-510 1-4 shows the whole wall is wrapped in p-lam and solid surface. It appears that the only way to make that desk is to supply a diewall. Even though it does not state that. Can you confirm that or the direction the GC should follow?

a. Means and methods to be determined by Contractor.

42. Ref drawing A-101- What is the room number south of mechanical room B100A? Is this considered part of room H100F? Per the finish plan on A-601 this room receives new acoustical wall panels but they are not shown on the room finish schedule or the legend. Will further info be provided?

a. This space is part of H100F. See also drawing A-301/5.

43. Ref drawing S-101 detail 1 and 2- What are the 2 bold black squares shown inside grid lines 13 and 15?

a. Existing structural steel tubing.

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