36C26026R0109 Grease Traps RFI Questions and Answers.pdf

668-25-105 Replace Grease Traps Contractor Questions and Answers

RFI Question #1 — Complete drawings and exact work locations

The solicitation repeatedly references drawings, but the attachment list does not contain construction drawings. Please provide drawings or documents which may provide information for all five locations. Please confirm whether the SOW photographs are intended to constitute the only location and design information.

Answer: Please reference SOW photographs and SOW narrative, which constitutes location and design information.

RFI Question #2 — Complete interceptor product criteria

a) Section 22 13 00 requires a submittal for a “Grease Removal Unit,” but Part 2 does not provide a corresponding grease-removal-unit product specification.

Please provide for each location:

• Required inlet and outlet size.

• Connection orientation.

• Inlet and outlet elevation.

• Vent connection requirements.

• Top extension or riser height.

• Frame and cover configuration.

• Cover loading classification.

• Gas-tight or watertight requirements.

• Locking requirements.

• Stainless-steel grade.

• Anchorage and support requirements.

• Maintenance-clearance requirements.

Answer: Grease removal Unit is not a requirement of this work.

Multiple Bullet Response: Given a lack of as-built information available, match existing sizes, configurations, and installation.

b) Please also identify the exact required Zurn suffixes and options, and the objective criteria by which an “equal” product will be evaluated.

Answer: Provide devices with options/criteria needed to meet the requirements of the installation and result in complete and usable grease traps.

RFI Question #3 — Kitchen shutdowns and phasing

For each trap, please provide:

• Permitted days and hours for shutdown.

• Whether work must occur at night or on weekends.

• Whether more than one trap may be out of service simultaneously.

• Availability of COR personnel during after-hours work for testing and approval

The stated kitchen operating hours do not establish an actual construction window.

Answer:

• Permitted days and hours for shutdown.

o Submit a schedule proposing shut-down date, time, duration for each trap location.

• Whether work must occur at night or on weekends.

o All times are available.

• Whether more than one trap may be out of service simultaneously.

o Sequence trap location work one at a time for minimum operational impact.

• Availability of COR personnel during after-hours work for testing and approval.

o COR is available as needed.

RFI Question #4 — Temporary kitchen service and temporary grease interception

Section 22 05 11 states that continuity of operation may require temporary piping or equipment. Please confirm whether temporary bypass piping, temporary grease interception, temporary sink drainage or temporary dishwasher drainage is required at any location.

If required, please provide:

• Fixtures and equipment that must remain operational.

• Required flow capacity.

• Connection points.

• Maximum temporary piping length.

• Sanitation and cleaning requirements.

• Required monitoring.

• Duration of temporary operation.

• Whether the VA will provide any alternate food-service arrangements.

Absent a response, bidders cannot reasonably determine whether they are pricing a simple shutdown or a complete temporary kitchen drainage system.

Answer: Traps and served fixtures can be taken off-line to complete work for that trap.

Temporary piping or equipment is not required.

RFI Question #5 — Finish schedule and exact materials

Please provide a finish schedule assigning the existing and required replacement flooring system to each of the five traps. Include manufacturer, product, size, thickness, color, aggregate or chip blend, grout type, divider strips, slip resistance and waterproofing requirements.

Section 09 66 13 references Section 09 06 00 for the required terrazzo color and marble granules, but Section 09 06 00 was not provided. Please provide the missing section and physical samples or retained attic stock, if available.

The Dishwashing photograph appears to show a gray seamless or resinous flooring system, but no resinous-flooring specification is included. Please identify that flooring and provide the required repair specification and detail.

Answer: Contractor shall match flooring materials and color to the best of ability after visual inspection of the existing materials. No additional information is available.

Delete reference to Section 09 06 00.

RFI Question #6 — Floor-patch limits and color-match acceptance

The SOW states that floors are to be patched to the edges of the new grease traps, while the terrazzo specifications may require repair to existing divider strips or complete panels. Please define the required patch limits for each location.

Please also define the objective acceptance criteria for color, texture, aggregate distribution, floor flatness and transition at the trap frame. Confirm whether replacement beyond the immediate opening will be considered additional work if an acceptable match cannot be obtained within the original patch area.

Answer: Patch limits shall be dictated by sawcut placement.

RFI Question #7 — Finish curing and return to kitchen service

The tile specification includes mortar-bed curing periods of up to seven days, and the terrazzo specification requires at least six days of curing before grinding unless otherwise approved. These periods appear incompatible with daily kitchen operations.

Please confirm one of the following for each location:

1. The VA will make the affected area unavailable for the full specified curing period;

or

2. The VA will approve a rapid-setting tile, grout, terrazzo-repair or resinous-floor system with a shorter return-to-service period.

Please provide the minimum permitted time before pedestrian traffic, rolling kitchen equipment and normal kitchen washdown may resume.

Answer: The VA will approve a rapid-setting tile, grout, terrazzo-repair or resinous-floor system with a shorter return-to-service period. Intent is “minimum impact to kitchen operations” per SOW 3.5.

RFI Question #8 — Structural slab and trap support

Please provide:

• Slab thickness at each location.

• Existing embeds and utilities.

Answer: Existing slab information not available.

RFI Question #9 — Existing grease contents, pumping and disposal

Please confirm whether the VA will pump, clean and sanitize the five existing traps before turnover to the contractor.

If pumping and disposal are contractor responsibilities, please provide:

• Estimated liquid and solids volume in each trap.

• Waste characterization.

• Required disposal method.

• Manifest or disposal-record requirements.

• Approved truck access and parking location.

• Whether vacuum hoses may be routed through occupied kitchen or hospital areas.

• Approved route for transporting containerized grease waste through the building.

• Responsibility for grease-contaminated piping, concrete and other demolition debris.

The contract states that no Government-furnished equipment will be provided, but it does not allocate responsibility for existing trap contents.

Answer: Operation of grease traps must continue until shut-down for replacement work.

This requires performance of pump-out and disposal of contents by Contractor.

• Estimated liquid and solids volume in each trap.

o Unknown

• Waste characterization.

o Per selected disposal location.

• Required disposal method.

o Take off-site and meet Washington State laws.

• Manifest or disposal-record requirements.

o None.

• Approved truck access and parking location.

o Loading dock.

• Whether vacuum hoses may be routed through occupied kitchen or hospital areas.

o Yes.

• Approved route for transporting containerized grease waste through the building.

o Main kitchen has exterior door. Canteen has adjacent exterior route.

• Responsibility for grease-contaminated piping, concrete and other demolition debris.

o Contractor.

RFI Question #10 — ICRA classification, barriers and negative air

The specifications identify the primary scope as Class II infection-control work. Please confirm the ICRA classification for each of the five locations, considering concrete sawcutting, slab demolition, tile removal, terrazzo grinding and possible ceiling work below the Canteen.

Please define:

• Required barrier type.

• Negative-pressure requirements.

• Air changes per hour.

• HEPA-unit capacity.

• Pressure-monitoring and documentation requirements.

• Approved exhaust route.

• HVAC shutdown or isolation.

• Anteroom requirements.

• Waste-transport requirements.

• Terminal cleaning responsibility.

• Inspection and release criteria before kitchen operation resumes.

Answer: Per 01 35 26 1.12 Infection Control Class II.

RFI Question #11 — Noise, vibration, dust and permitted work methods

The specifications restrict noise- and vibration-producing work in occupied buildings.

Please identify the permitted work periods and approved methods for:

• Concrete sawcutting.

• Core drilling.

• Chipping.

• Jackhammering.

• Terrazzo grinding.

• Vacuum excavation.

• Pipe cutting.

• Hammer drilling for anchors.

Confirm whether all such activities must be performed after normal kitchen hours and whether VA escorts, Engineering personnel and infection-control personnel will be available during those hours.

Answer: Submit a schedule proposing shut-down date, time, duration for each trap location. All times are available. COR is available as needed.

RFI Question #12 — Testing, inspection and manufacturer’s representative

Please provide the exact acceptance testing required for each interceptor and associated piping, including:

• Test media.

• Test pressure or water level.

• Test duration.

• Required flow rate.

• Required fixture operation.

• Leakage criteria.

• Required witness notice.

• Rough-in inspection hold points.

• Required inspection before concrete placement.

• Required inspection before floor finishes.

• Final operating-test criteria.

The SOW requires a qualified manufacturer’s representative. Please confirm whether a separate representative visit is required for each phased installation or whether all five units may be reviewed during one final visit. Also confirm whether a written manufacturer’s field report is required.

Answer: Testing criteria is visual observation by COR that water flows freely through the new device and no obvious leaks occur.

Certification of grease trap performance is not required. Delete SOW para 3.2.

RFI Question #13 — Environmental report and untested materials

The provided Environmental Report appears to omit Page 1 of 4. Please provide the complete report, including the sampling plan and location map.

Please identify which trap location and floor layer corresponds to samples 1A through 3B and confirm whether the following materials have been sampled and cleared:

• Dishwashing gray flooring.

• Flooring adhesives and backing.

• All grout and terrazzo layers.

• Waterproofing membranes.

• Concrete fill or topping.

• Ceiling materials below the Canteen.

• Existing pipe insulation and joint materials.

• Any mastics or sealants within anticipated demolition limits.

Please also state the stop-work, testing and change-order procedure if untested suspect material is encountered.

Answer: Page 1 is a cover letter.

No sampling plan and location map is available. No ACM was found in the flooring of any of the work locations. Only the flooring was sampled.

Notify COR if “untested suspect material is encountered.”

RFI Question #14 — Governing code, permits, inspections and AHJ

The specifications reference IPC 2018 in one location and elsewhere state that plumbing is to comply with the latest IPC. Please confirm the governing plumbing-code edition and all applicable local amendments.

Please identify the required plumbing and building permits.

Answer: IPC 2018. COR is Authority Having Jurisdiction. No permits are required.

RFI Question #15 — Material, waste and equipment routes into and out of buildings

Please provide approved routes for:

• New interceptors entering the building.

• Removal of existing interceptors.

• Transport of grease-contaminated waste.

• Concrete and finish-floor debris.

• HEPA-filtered waste containers.

• Use of service elevators.

• Loading and unloading.

• Temporary staging.

• Vacuum truck access.

Please identify any floor-loading, elevator-size, door-width or scheduling restrictions along those routes.

Answer:

• New interceptors entering the building.

• Removal of existing interceptors.

• Transport of grease-contaminated waste.

• Concrete and finish-floor debris.

• HEPA-filtered waste containers.

o Through available exterior doors, either from Main Kitchen or adjacent to Canteen Kitchen

• Use of service elevators.

o Available to reach Canteen Kitchen.

• Loading and unloading.

o Loading dock available

• Temporary staging.

o Not available.

• Vacuum truck access.

o Loading dock area.

RFI Question #16 – Existing Grease Trap Inlet and Outlet Pipe Sizes

The contract documents require removal and replacement of five (5) existing grease traps and reconnection to the existing sanitary piping; however, the existing inlet and outlet pipe sizes are not identified.

Please provide the existing inlet and outlet pipe sizes for each of the five existing grease traps, identified by location (Canteen Kitchen, each Dietetics Kitchen location, and Dishwashing).

Additionally, please identify any locations where the existing sanitary piping size differs from the inlet or outlet connection size of the specified replacement grease interceptor.

If available, please provide existing/as-built plumbing drawings or other record information showing the piping sizes and connections at each grease trap location.

Answer: Additional information not available.

RFI Question #17

The manufacture works with NSF International to certify its products. They have the ability to certify the grease trap by sending in a sample once it is operating. Will this suffice for the certification or will a representative need to be on site?

Answer: Certification of grease trap performance is not required. Delete SOW para 3.2.

RFI Question #18

There is conflicting information about past performance in the RFP. It says a minimum of 3 past projects similar in size and scope must be submitted. However, later in the RFP under the technical portion it says that a contractor with no past performance is simply given a neutral rating and it implies the contractor may still bid on the project. Can a contractor bid on the project with no past performance?

Answer: Please reference evaluation factors. Please note under Factor 2: Past Performance, “If an Offeror does not have any past performance record, a neutral rating will be assigned for this evaluation factor.”

668-25-105 Replace Grease Traps Contractor Questions and Answers