36C25726Q0769-RFI-Technical Questions-Second Site Visit.pdf

36C25726Q0769 Repair Duct and Chilled Water Lines

Request for Information (Technical Questions) Second Site Visit

1. Bid Bond Requirement Will this solicitation require a bid bond? If so, please provide the required bond percentage or dollar amount.

Response Yes

2. Estimated Construction Magnitude Please provide the Government’s estimated construction magnitude or anticipated project value range.

3. Anticipated Start Date What is the anticipated Notice to Proceed and construction start date?

4. Asbestos Abatement Scope During the site visit, it was observed that asbestos abatement activities had already begun under a separate contractor. Please confirm whether asbestos abatement remains part of the prime contractor’s scope under this solicitation.

Response: ACM will still be a part of this SOW.

5. Prime Contractor Abatement Responsibilities Please provide a concise and clearly defined description of the prime contractor’s asbestos-abatement responsibilities, including:

• Areas to be abated.

• Estimated quantities.

• Materials included.

• Required containment.

• Air monitoring and clearance testing.

• Waste transportation and disposal.

• Responsibility for regulatory notifications and permits.

Response: ACM abatement will be confined to the first floor. Please refer to the provided drawings to identify specific areas requiring abatement. The contractor is responsible for selecting appropriate means and methods for containment. Additionally, all air monitoring and clearance, waste transportation and disposal, and notification requirements are the responsibility of the contractor.

6. Rear Mechanical Room Supply Duct During the site walk, it appeared that only the supply-air duct in the rear mechanical room required new insulation. Will the existing asbestos-containing insulation on this duct be removed by others before the prime contractor begins reinsulation?

Response: ACM abatement on the 1st floor is to be done by the contractor.

7. Rear Mechanical Room Duct Quantity Please provide the exact linear footage, dimensions, and surface area of the supply-air ductwork in the rear mechanical room that requires reinsulation.

Response: Provide bid based on the quantities base in the SOW.

8. Return-Air Ductwork Does the Government require the corresponding return-air ductwork to be:

• Leak tested and sealed?

• Reinsulated?

• Repaired or replaced where rusted, deteriorated, collapsed, or otherwise compromised?

Response: This will be part of the project. Quantities will count in the project limits.

9. Deteriorated Ductwork Replacement Multiple areas of ductwork appeared to have been affected by condensation, corrosion, rust, and physical deterioration. Please confirm whether replacement of deteriorated duct sections is included in the base scope or whether the requirement is limited to sealing and reinsulation.

Response: Yes, this is part of the work is required in the SOW.

10. Government-Provided Quantities Because several areas were occupied and access was limited during the site visit, contractors were unable to fully inspect and measure all affected ductwork. Will the Government provide:

• Exact duct lengths.

• Duct dimensions.

• Surface-area quantities.

• Pipe lengths.

• Fitting and valve quantities.

• Locations requiring repair, replacement, or reinsulation.

Response: Provide bid base of the square footages and liner feet in the SOW.

11. Basis of Bid Should contractors base their lump-sum pricing solely on the stated quantities of 20,000 square feet of duct insulation and 2,000 linear feet of pipe insulation, or on independently verified field quantities?

Response: The contractor should provide their lump-sum pricing based solely on the quantities provided.

12. Additional Drawings and Site Access Will the Government provide complete mechanical drawings, marked-up floor plans, or an additional site visit so contractors can verify the full scope and quantities?

Response: Please refer to the drawings for the fourth floor.

13. Temporary Cooling Requirements Will temporary cooling be required during AHU shutdowns, duct repairs, chilled-water isolation, or insulation replacement?

Response: No; however, work may need to be scheduled for nighttime hours.

14. Responsibility for Temporary Cooling If temporary cooling is required, will it be furnished by the Government or by the prime contractor? If contractor-provided, please identify:

• Required cooling capacity.

• Areas to be served.

• Duration.

• Temporary power availability.

• Condensate-disposal requirements.

• Required redundancy.

Response: no temporary cooling is needed by the contractor.

15. Shutdown Duration and Sequencing Please identify the maximum permitted shutdown duration for each affected AHU and chilled-water system and whether work must be completed in separate phases.

Response: this will be determined by the contractor’s means and methods

16. Project Duration Please confirm the required project completion period. The revised SOW states 90 calendar days after Notice to Proceed, while Amendment 0002 lists a contract period from August 24, 2026, through September 30, 2027. Please clarify which schedule governs contract performance.

Response: the project duration is 6 Month

17. Work Hours Addendum #3 states nights and weekend work, are there any exception for working during normal working hours? Please clarify whether most of the work will be performed during:

• Normal weekday hours.

• Evenings.

• Weekends.

• Federal holidays.

• A combination of these periods.

Response: For bidding purposes work must be done during nights and weekends to avoid conflicts with patient care. Some of the work may be done during normal business hours as long as work doesn’t negatively impact on the hospital’s operations. Work durations can be determined by the means and methods of the contractor

18. Differing Site Conditions If concealed duct deterioration, active leaks, additional ACM, damaged piping, or quantities exceeding the stated amounts are discovered, will these conditions be addressed through a written contract modification and equitable adjustment?

These clarifications are necessary for GMR Heating & Air LLC to properly define its technical approach, schedule, staffing plan, subcontracting requirements, and lump-sum price.

Response: A contract mod will be considered for one of these conditions if appliable.

19. Is the existing ACT to be salvaged and reinstalled, or replaced with new ACT?

Response: Reinstall ACT if they can be protected from damage during work. Otherwise replace.

20. Please confirm any gypsum hard lids removed for access are to be replaced with new gypsum board, including finish and paint to match existing.

Response: This will be determined by the means and methods by the contractor. Return to original condition. Damages will be replaced by contractor.

21. Will this work be performed during normal business hours, after hours, or on weekends?

Response: For bidding purposes, the work is to be performed during nights and weekends to prevent interference with patient care. Certain tasks may be completed during regular business hours, provided they do not adversely affect hospital operations. The contractor’s chosen means and methods will determine the duration of the work.

22. Will the ceiling work require multiple mobilizations, or is it expected to be completed in one phase?

Response: This will be determined by the contractor means and methods

23. What size is the duct work that needs to be removed and replaced, and how many feet of each size?

Response: Refer to SOW and drawings.

24. The gentleman on the walk through yesterday on the 4th floor mentioned mold on the duct work . Has a mold survey been done and if so were is the results to the survey and a TDLR report

Response: The survey for the 4th floor will be provided.

25. The site visit walked to multiple floors, however the SOW does not identify specific areas, it was stated by the escort “a little here a little there throughout the building” that needs to be defined since TDHS and TDLR require specific project notification not just general abatement.

Response: ACM abatement will not be required in all areas. For bidding purposes, the contractor should assume that approximately half of the specified quantities will require ACM abatement.

Insulation replacement will occur throughout the hospital using any remaining quantities, with priority given to completing the first and fourth floors before addressing other areas.

26. Fees for abatement are based on project size, we need to know a lot better idea of project size form the ACM to perform the notification and determine the fees. Multiple floors and multiple project locations would be multiple notifications and fees.

Response: ACM will be limited to the 1st floor.

27. The 4th floor space that was identified during the site visit was already under abatement activities, how is that impacting this project?

Response: The contractor will only be required to re-insulate the ductwork on the fourth floor. No ACM abatement needed for the 4th floor.

28. The 4th Floor duct work was noted by the escort that is was contaminated with Mold. Is the ductwork also ACM? If so the ACM takes priority.

Response: There will be no Mold remediation or ACM abatement on the 4th floor.

29. The escort noted that the work would only be done on the 4th floor during the day, however with chiller lines needing to be isolated would nighttime and other off hours be allowed?

Response: For bidding purposes, the work is to be performed during nights and weekends to prevent interference with patient care. Certain tasks may be completed during regular business hours, provided they do not adversely affect hospital operations. The contractor’s chosen means and methods will determine the duration of the work.

30. We need to obtain the updated drawings, line and duct parameters and any numbering identification for the lines and AHU units numbers for the expanded area on the 4th floor.

Response: Drawing will be provided

31. Was a TDLR MAC involved for the determination of the Mold contamination of the project, can the Protocol and analytical data be provided.

Response: The survey will be provide for the 4th floor.

32. The Abatement portion required air monitoring since the ACM is friable. The monitoring would have to be a 3rd party company, does the VA have a contract in place for this function. The abatement company and the air monitoring cannot be the same company of hired by the abatement company.

Response: The contractor will be required to provide the third party air monitoring.

33. The abatement of the ACM will require notification. We need to know the exact areas of concern, along with number of locations for the notification. This needs to be provided prior to bidding, to be able to include the cost of the notification in the bid.

Response: Assume half of the quantities to be replaced is ACM to be removed. If more ACM is determined a change order will be provided.

34. The TDLR regulates mold remediation, the MRC cannot also be the MAC for a project, does the VA have a contract to perform MAC services (IAQ testing and clearance) for the facility since both companies cannot be the same company or have interest in the associated companies.

Response: The 4th floor abatement and clearance will not be part of this SOW. The contractor’s requirements will only be to re-insulation duct.

35. What work hours is the 4th floor project working on and how does the VA intend on multiple contractors to be working in the same abatement space, since TDHS has specific requirements for access control to an abatement activity.

Response: On the 4th floor the contractor will only need to perform the re-insulation of the duct.

This will count in the quantities provided in the ACM

36. What is the size of the pipe and duct on the 1st floor and the 4th floor separately, and respectively. Insulation costs needs to be determined by the specific sizes, thickness and R-values of each diameter of pipe. There were multiple sizes in the spaces noted during the site visit.

Response: This is why with choose to provide the duct insulation in square footage. The size of the duct is irrelevant. Large ducts will consume more of the quantities than smaller ducts. The pipe insulation is online for the 3” main supply and return lines of the building.

37. What is the thickness of the insulation on the AHU duct, by floor and location. This will have a major impact on cost of reinsulating.

Response: The new duct insulation to be provided in the SOW is to be replaced with 4” of insulation. This is for the entire location of duct.

38. What repair points on the duct are identified as currently faulty?

Response: This will be determined based on surface condition of the insulation. The locations beyond the 1st and 4th floors will be determined by the COR

39. What repair points on the pipe are identified as currently faulty?

Response: This will be determined based on surface condition of the insulation. The locations beyond the 1st and 4th floors will be determined by the COR

40. How does the government intend on getting a bid for repair when the pipe and duct are covered and cannot be assessed until after removal and abatement of the current insulation?

Response: Provide pricing for the replacement of insulation. The existing condition will not be considered. Replacement will be based on section of insulation known to be a problem.

41. It's going to be all crawl space in most of the areas, so it would be advisable to cut ceilings open and block off areas with plastic to avoid any problems, would this be acceptable?

Response: Yes, The contractor will need to restore the space to the same condition after the work is completed.

42. Will all of this work be performed after hours to avoid patient interruption? Or will it be required to be worked during normal business hours.

Response: Some of the work can be performed during normal business hours, however please bid all this work in this SOW to be performed after hour. It will be necessary to perform work to less impact healthcare services.

43. Can the government provide accurate measurements for the insulation as the figure in the SOW seems like an approximation. For bidding purpose to be equal we need to know the proper linear feet. Can the government provide accurate measurements or is it to be understood that we are all to bid 50,000 LF of duct insulation and 10,000 LF of 3” pipe insulation?

Response: The quantities provided are a maximum amount of duct and chilled water pipe insulation to be removed, duct patched and reinsulated. The quantity is an overestimation to include work not depicted on provided drawings. Work may be done in the entire building up to the quantities provided. Provide bid to perform all work in the quantities provided.

44. The only way to find out if the ductwork is leaking would be to take all insulation off to inspect then reinsulate the duct back , is this the method for how to determine all leaks?

Response: The way to find duct leaks can be determined by the means and methods of the contractor

45. For the abatement, what is the VA’s preferred method of conducting abatement for this type of project?

Response: For the abatement the VA would prefer to build and enclosure to remove the ACM, however it will be the contractor to determine the means and methods to remove the ACM

46. Will a manifest be required for all trash and abated materials?

Response: Yes, provide manifest and state notification before removal of ACM.

47. The only way to check to see if piping is leaking would be to shut off the system and test with air because the chilled water lines will be sweating, also removing all insulation and reinstalling, is this the method to be utilized for identifying leaks? If not please provide the VA’s approved or preferred leak detection method for the piping to be reinsulated.

Response: This would be acceptable. The contractor can determine the means and methods to test the chilled water lines to leaks.

48. Page 4 of the statement of work specifies 50,000 sq. feet of duct insulation to be replaced.

Page 13 of the SOW specifies 10,000 square feet of duct insulation to be replaced. Which figure is correct?

Response: Please use the higher figure to bid on this project.

49. Page 4 of the SOW specifies 10,00 lineal feet of 3” pipe insulation to be replaced. Page 13 of the SOW specifies 2,000 lineal feet of 3’ pipe insulation to be replaced. Which figure is correct?

Response: Please use the 2,000 Lineal Feet of 3’ pipe insulation.

50. Pages 11 and 12 of the SOW have plans highlighting the areas of ductwork and pipe insulation to be replaced. The highlighted areas show a lesser quantity of duct insulation and pipe insulation to be replaced than is specified in either of items a and b above. Will additional plans be forthcoming?

Response: The plans are for reference only. The drawings are the areas the VA would like to have the contractor start first. Work may be done in other areas of the hospital once the work in the provided drawing is completed.

51. If the hard ceilings are cut what will be the ICRA requirements? Will plastic be required all the way to the deck, which will be extremely difficult due to the various obstructions in the interstitial.

Response: The contractor will be required to follow the ICRA policy. This work will require a Class 4 ICRA when the contractor is working with ACM. A Class 4 ICRA will plastic all the way to the deck. However, this will not be needed for other means like gloved bagging.

52. How much can our ICRA barriers intrude into the corridor? Can we utilize half of the corridor?

Response: 4’ is the amount of space for the corridor that can be taken by the contractor.

53. Can the VA provide a phasing plan that will show what areas and how much of the corridor can be utilized while cutting into the hard ceiling and opening ceiling tiles?

Response: The contractor can only take out to 4’ of the corridor

54. Can the Site Superintendent also perform the duties of the SSHO and QC?

Response: Yes

55. Is the existing ACT to be salvaged and reinstalled, or replaced with new ACT?

Response: reuse ACT. Replace if broken during the work being performed

56. Please confirm any gypsum hard lids removed for access are to be replaced with new gypsum board, including finish and paint to match existing.

Response: This will be determined by the means and methods of the contractor. The contractor must have a plan to return any ceiling removal after work is completed.

57. Since this is an occupied area, will temporary dust containment/temporary walls be required? If so, who is responsible for providing them?

Response: The contractor is to provide Class 4 ICRA requirements. For the ACM abatement.

58. Will this work be performed during normal business hours, after hours, or on weekends?

Response: for bidding purposes work is to be done on nights and weekends. This is so the work can be schedule around patient care activities.

59. Will the ceiling work require multiple mobilizations, or is it expected to be completed in one phase?

Response: This will be the means and methods of the contractor to complete the SOW quantities

60. During the site visit on 7/30 we were taken to the fourth floor instead of the first floor where the original site visit was hosted. Is the 4th floor now part of the SOW?

Response: Yes. The quantities in the SOW will apply to other areas of the hospital once the target areas are completed. Quantities in the SOW will be applied to other areas of the hospital with the remaining.

End of Request for Information (Technical Questions)