Questions and answers_36C25925R0067_Upgrade Garage Elevator Controls.pdf

Project 635-25-103 (Upgrade Garage Elevators Controls) Solicitation: 36C25925R0067

Questions and answers

1) After reviewing the requirements for this solicitation for the above referenced project, there appears to be a mistake in the NAICS code of 236220. Please advise if the proper NAICS code will be included in the actual Solicitation.

The applicable NAICS codes for this contract solicitation are 238290, 561210, and 333921 and the subcodes there under.

2) Will physical copies of the Bid Bonds be required to be mailed to the facility IWA 1.5B of the Instructions to Offers?

No. An updated Instructions to Offers document has been attached to this solicitation amendment. The updated Instructions to Offers document supersedes the old one.

3) Please confirm that the VA will not allow for down payments to be submitted for any/all materials ordering until the materials have arrived on site.

Partial invoicing should only occur after inspection and construction of identifiable features. Final invoicing will complete after commissioning and acceptance of materials.

There are processes that permit material billing prior to installation per the FAR/VAAR. If contractors are interested, consultation should occur with the Contracting Officer and Contracting Specialist to discuss the various steps needed to invoice for materials (insurance, inspections, etc.) prior to construction.

4) Please confirm that the VA will not allow for down payments on subcontractor costs until such subcontracted work to be performed has been completed on site.

Certified payrolls are required for invoice certification before any payout can be processed.

Partial invoicing should only occur after inspection and construction of identifiable features. Final invoicing will complete after commissioning and acceptance of materials.

There are processes that permit material billing prior to installation per the FAR/VAAR. If contractors are interested, consultation should occur with the Contracting Officer and Contracting Specialist to discuss the various steps needed to invoice for materials (insurance, inspections, etc.) prior to construction. Progress payments can be issued, but there is no such thing as “down payments.”

5) Can the VA confirm that the prime contractor cannot solely rely on subcontractor past performance to satisfy the proposal requirements?

In joint ventures, past performance from either partner can be submitted and evaluated as a prime. This requirement shall adhere to Limitations on sub-contracting IAW VAAR 852.219-

75. If the Prime Contractor is not observed performing any work on-site during the period of performance to adhere to the subcontracting limitations (85/15), the contractor maybe be subject to negative performance reviews and/or compliance violations which may impact the contractor negatively under the provisions of the contract’s clauses.

6) Can you please confirm all after hours work, regardless of trade or inability to estimate, will be at the prime contractor’s expense?

All after hours work will need to be approved by the COR in advance in accordance with the SOW. Any anticipated after-hours work to achieve the scope of work’s objectives should be reflected in the proposal; the VA does not determine “means and methods.” Offerors must make provisions to ensure that the contract’s requirements are achieved within the permitted Period of Performance upon issuance of a construction notice to proceed (not administrative). Weekend and after-hours work are permitted provide adequate advanced notice is given to the VA staff to plan accordingly.

7) What software will be utilized on the project for submittal transfers? Will the Prime contractor be responsible for purchasing and maintaining?

Yes – A software program will be utilized for submittal transfers and the prime contractor is responsible for purchasing and maintaining a program of their choosing. Submittal Exchange is the preferred submittal transfer portal between the VA and the contractor.

8) Will the client require any construction management software to be utilized on the project?

Will the Prime contractor be responsible for purchasing and maintaining?

No construction management software will be provided to the contractor by the VA. Again, the VA does not specific means and methods. What is specified by the VA is the requirement to provide a comprehensive schedule prior to the initiation of the construction period of performance. If freeware is available to construct a suitable Gant chart or like, they this should be acceptable provide adequate information is available for the COR.

9) Project Timeline Clarification: The scope states that work must begin within 10 days of Notice to Proceed (NTP). However, procurement of parts typically requires 12–20 weeks after submission of approved drawings, and the approval process for drawings can take an additional 3–4 weeks. Would it be acceptable to extend the allowable procurement and preparation period to 24 weeks?

It is the intention of the VA to issue the Admin NTP soon after award. This will allow the awardee to immediately begin drafting administrative submittals. During the initial Administrative NTP, the contractor shall perform any tasks as quickly as possible for the VA’s COR to approve. The amount of time available to the COR to review the submittals is specified in the SOW; it is 7 days. The administrative NTP period should last no more than 28 days. The submittals (Progress Schedule, Schedule of values, Quality Control Plan, Equipment Selections, etc.) should be compiled and submitted to the COR as quickly as possible. As submittals are approved, materials can be ordered by the contractor to establish concrete lead-times. The Period of Performance (i.e., 60 days) shall begin upon issuances of a formal construction NTP. Once receipt of all materials has occurred, the POP will be revised with the contracting officer to reflect the 60 days allocated for construction per the SOW. Commissioning and acceptance will occur outside of the 60 days for construction. The VA will ensure that the VA-funded QEI inspection occurs within 14 days of commissioning completion for each elevator, respectively.

10) Request Period of Performance be increased by 20 weeks to support 4-week Submittal Process and 16-week Material Fabrication and Delivery of key components.

Again, materials should be ordered by the contractor as soon as the submittals are approved during the administrative NTP period. Once the contractor is ready to perform the work under the contract post-delivery arrival of materials, the NTP will be issued on the 60 days allocated for installation. Materials shall not be stored at the VA campus during the administrative period.

See question 8 above for additional details. This is not complicated.

11) Can the prime contractor assume no change/updating to the applicable code year for the current elevators?

Existing materials and equipment not impacted by this upgrade project shall remain under the code stipulations at their time of installation. Any new equipment going into the project shall be required to adhere to the latest publication of code at the time of award.

12) Will the VA require the prime contractor to hire a 3rd party QEI inspection at the completion of the repairs?

No, the VA will contract out the QEI as a 3rd party during the commissioning and acceptance phase of the project post the construction period of performance expiration. This ensures that the QEI will not have any bias to the construction contractor.

13) The SOW does not indicate an entire elevator modernization, rather just repairs. If a QEI inspection will be a requirement at the completion of the repairs, can the prime contractor assume that code compliance punch list items listed on the QEI inspection will not be the responsibility of the prime contractor and will be priced accordingly?

A QEI inspection shall be required prior to acceptance; however, existing equipment outside of the repair/upgrade project shall be subject to the codes applicable at the time of original construction during the QEI inspection during the project’s acceptance phase. If the QEI identifies deficiencies outside of the project’s elevator control upgrade that were not part of the original scope (e.g., deficiencies pertaining to the cab assembly), such deficiencies shall be address via a modification to the contract provided the contracting officer and specialist determine fair and reasonableness on any contractor proposals.

14) Controller Specification Flexibility: Smartrise is specified as the required non-proprietary controller. Is Smartrise the only acceptable option, or would other non-proprietary controllers that are compatible with BACnet also be approved?

SmartRise was identified as a basis of design. If an alternate non-proprietary controller is available, that will also suffice to achieve the SOW. The VA would like to see a submittal on the controller type prior to the construction NTP.

15) Working Hours Adjustment: Working hours are listed 7 am to 5 pm CST. Would working hours of 6 am to 6 pm be approved to accommodate a four-day work week?

A COR must be present during work hours performed by the contractor. CORs are on site from 6:30am to 4:30pm CST Monday through Friday. If weekend work is desired at time increments outside of these, a COR will be appointed to supervise work during those times. After-hours work can also be requested, but such requests should be made two weeks in advance to allow the VA adequate scheduling time for tours of duty.

16) Please confirm whether ASME 17.1 (2022), ASME 17.1 (2019), or ASME 17.1 (2016) is the applicable code for this Upgrade?

DISCUSSION: Not addressed in SOW. Identification of the Applicable Year of Elevator Safety Code is CRITICAL for Contractors to apply the proper safeguards and configuration to the new Elevator Controls. It is also required for the VA to ensure an “apple to apple” comparison of Proposals.

NOTE: “Latest Code” is 2022.

Any new equipment installed under the project shall adhere to ASME 17.1, 2022. The existing elevator cabs, finishes, and components outside of the scope shall remain as constructed with no code updates. The new elevator controls shall implement the requirements of the ASME 2022 Elevator Safety Code safeguards and configurations since this is new infrastructure added under the project’s repair scope.

17) If ASME 17.1 (2022) or ASME 17.1 (2019) is the applicable code, specify the if elevator controls are to be full-compliant with regard to touchless features, video monitoring, ADA compliance and 2-way text shall be required?

DISCUSSION: 2019 and subsequent ASME 17.1 code identifies a requirement to establish data connections with external servers via data cable or WIFI for ADA-accessible phone, camera, and 2-way text communication.

There shall be no requirement to establish data connections with external servers via data cable or WIFI for ADA-accessible phone, camera, and 2-way text communication.

18) If ASME 17.1 (2022) or ASME 17.1 (2019) is the applicable code, shall Remote Monitoring be required? If so, is VA or the Contractor to establish and provide the 2nd data/phone line?

DISCUSSION: ASME 17.1 code compliance.

There shall be no requirement for remote monitoring for the elevators; however, the current call buttons on the elevators are inoperable and need to be repaired and configured to call out to the VA facility’s phone operator room at the conclusion of the project. This aligns with the operation of all elevators on site currently.

19) If the VA guidance is to forego ADA compliance, video monitoring, etc. Is the elevator controller to be provisioned for these capabilities in case of future upgrade?

DISCUSSION: Cost-effective to provision Controller for future ADA compliance relative to retrofitting in a future upgrade.

There shall be no requirement for ADA compliance, video monitoring, etc. in the project’s scope.

The contractor shall install elevator controller provisions for these capabilities should a future project occur later to upgrade the elevators to fully ADA compliant.

20) 6. Are the hoistways to be ASME 17.1 Compliant?

DISCUSSION: Not addressed in SOW. Hoistway lacks lighting.

Yes

21) Ares the pits to be ASME 17.1 Compliant?

DSICUSSION: Not addressed in SOW. Pit lacks lighting or GFCI Receptacle to support pit work.

22) Are hallway lanterns and position indicators to be replaced?

DISCUSSION: Not addressed in SOW. They don’t work and appear obsolete/non-compatible with new Smart Rise Controller.

23) Is the Pit Butter and channel to be cleaned and Painted?

DISCUSSION: Not addressed in SOW. Show rust and extended water emersion

24) Please confirm door operator, safeties and rail guides are retained?

DISCUSSION: Not address in SOW.

25) Shall Lobby Doors, Cab Doors and Cab Interiors be polished to remove rust and scratches?

DISCUSSION: Not addressed in SOW. VA is spending over a half million $’s to fix elevators that look like crap. For a couple thousand bucks of stainless polishing, they can look nearly brand new.

26) Is the awarded Contractor to provide 12 months Service Maintenance after the elevator is returned to service?

No. However, warranties from the installation shall still apply. Maintenance shall be handled by an existing facility wide maintenance agreement that is already in existence.

27) Does the awarded Contractor assume Service Maintenance at time of Contract Award, or when the elevator is removed from service and returned to service?

DISCUSSION: Not addressed in SOW. Due to material lead times the site work will not start for 20 weeks after contract award. Shall contractor price service maintenance for the period between contract award and commencement of onsite work? Or, after the elevator is put back in service?

There is already an existing elevator service contract for ongoing maintenance. The awarded contractor for this project will not be performing any maintenance on the elevators unless the VA holds an existing maintenance contract with the awardee already. Once the NTP is issued, the contractor shall be given one of the two elevators to commence with work. Upon completion of commissioning of the first elevator, the second elevator will be given to the contractor to complete. This will occur during the 60-day period of performance. Custody of the elevators will transfer from the prime contractor to the VA upon acceptance testing from the QEI. Any deficiencies identified by the acceptance testing shall be addressed by the prime contractor before the VA take final acceptance. After that time, the maintenance of the elevator shall be under the purview of the existing elevator contract for the entire facility. If maintenance is required during the period between commissioning and acceptance, this shall be done at the expense of the construction prime contractor.

28) Shall the contractor provided interim service maintenance be limited to parts and labor replaced under this contract, or all inclusive?

DISCUSSION: Parts may fail during the upgrade or 12 months after the Elevator Control Upgrade that were not part of the upgrade.

This question depends on the confidence of the awardee to provide a high-quality end-product which complies with the requirements specified in the scope. Once the elevator(s) is closed, it will not be open to public use until acceptance. If a part fails that would constitute maintenance on the elevators during the control upgrade, the prime contractor shall absorb this cost entirely.

Custody of the elevators shall be the construction contractor from the moment the elevator(s) are taken out of service to the point of final acceptance by the VA.

29) Can the VA identify the latent defects in waterproofing to the Parking Garage Construction Firm to make the repair? If not, can the VA make an Allowance or Identify a Requirement to Investigate and Provide a Change Order Proposal to Fix the missing and poor workmanship that created the Water Intrusion precipitating this Solicitation.

DISCUSSION: The attached photos show the Parking Garage was never properly waterproofed.

Notably, there’s a water trap between the parking garage and adjacent building that funnels storm water into the elevator pit, and the upper floor joints were never caulking, leading to water sheeting into the machine rooms. It probably would require $50k to fix, and doing so when the structure was built would have likely avoided this half million dollar + repair. NOTE:

There will be mold and unsafe air conditions in the confined space elevator pits.

The VA facility staff have been unable to determine the source(s) of water intrusion within the various areas in the parking elevators. The VA cannot identify the latent defects; however, the objective of the project is to correct the controls as well as the water intrusion issues. The parking garage around the elevators and associated equipment shall be properly waterproofed by the close of this project. The issue with the water trap shall be addressed by the contractor performing the elevator control upgrade. The upper floor joints shall be properly caulked and addressed to prevent water sheeting into the machine rooms. If mold is present, the contractor shall be required to price adequate safety measures and abatement costs into their bid to ensure that all necessary work needed to achieve the objective of eliminating water intrusion into the controls is captured. If such measures include an additional $50K of labor and materials, the contractor shall be expected to plan accordingly to reduce the likelihood of modifications and change overs.

30) During the pre-bid for the Oklahoma City Elevator Project, we inspected both the control room and elevator shaft. We have determined both areas of both elevators have significant water infiltration directly over both control panels. There were additional active signs of water infiltration on top of each elevator and in the shafts. Does the VA intend for this to be corrected prior to the new elevator controls getting installed?

Yes, the SOW requires that the final construction of this control upgrade project be free from water intrusion in the two elevator control rooms and two elevator hoist ways. The VA does not specify the means and methods that the contractor deems best fit to achieve this objective.

31) Will the VA require the roofs and vertical/horizontal control joints to be replaced as part of this project?

The vertical and horizontal control joints may not need to be replaced; however, the SOW requires that the elevator shafts be free of any water intrusion at the time of acceptance.