36C26118B0471-004.doc

VA SAN FRANCISCO

VA PROJECT# 662-18-001

Install Continuous Water Monitoring System

Section 01 26 13

REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Part 1 - GENERAL

1.1 SUMMARY

A. Section specifies administrative and procedural requirements for handling and processing Requests for Information (RFI).

B. RFI is intended for requesting clarifications and interpretations of Contract Documents due to apparent inconsistencies, errors or omissions in Contract Documents, and due to unanticipated existing conditions.

C. RFI is not intended for requesting substitutions, Contractor’s proposed changes, resolution of nonconforming work or for general questions not related to Contract Documents.

D. RFI process is intended to be a cooperative effort between Contracting Officer (CO’s) and Contractor to expedite responses to RFIs and maintain progress of Work without utilizing other lengthy procedures.

E. RFI process is intended to be a cooperative effort between Construction Manager and Contractors to expedite responses to RFIs and maintain the progress of Work without utilizing other lengthy procedures.

F. Any other proposed method of processing RFI’s other than indicated within this Section, such as project collaboration systems, shall be evaluated by Contracting Officer for potential impact. Specifier: Include following paragraph if CM has been retained by owner.

1.2 DEFINITIONS

A. The term Contractor in this document shall mean Construction Manager, which holds a contract with Owner. The term Subcontractor or Subcontractors shall mean Contractor or Contractors which have agreements or contracts with Construction Manager or other Contractors.

Part 2 - PRODUCTS (Not Used)

Part 3 - EXECUTION

3.1 REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION

A. Review of Contract Documents and Field Conditions:

1. Contract Documents are complementary; therefore, before starting each portion of Work, carefully study and compare various Drawings, Specifications and any other Contract Documents, coordination drawings, shop drawings, prior correspondence or documentation relative to that portion of Work, as well as information furnished by VA.

2. Contractor and Subcontractors shall evaluate and take field measurements of any existing conditions related to that portion of Work and shall observe any conditions at site affecting Work.

3. These obligations are for purpose of facilitating and coordinating construction and are not for purpose of discovering errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in Contract Documents.

4. Contractor and subcontractors acknowledge that all documents pertaining to Work has been examined, have examined character of site and any existing conditions, and are satisfied with nature of Work, and all other matters which can in any way affect Work.

5. In event of inconsistency between portions of Contract Documents or within Contract Documents; provide better quality or greater quantity of Work, and comply with more stringent requirement, either or both in accordance with CO’s interpretation.

6. Any errors, inconsistencies or omissions discovered in Contract Documents shall be reported promptly to CO as a properly prepared and timely RFI.

7. Contractor and Subcontractors are not required to ascertain Contract Documents are in accordance with applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, codes, and rules and regulations, unless they bear upon construction means, methods, techniques or safety and health precautions, but the Contractor shall promptly report to CO any nonconformity discovered by or made known to Contractor as a RFI.

8. If Contractor or Subcontractor fail to give such notice, and knowingly proceeds with Work affected by errors or omissions in Contract Documents, Contractor shall correct any such errors, inconsistencies, or omissions at no additional cost.

B. Contractor’s and Subcontractor’s Responsibilities:

1. When interpretation, clarification or explanation of portion of Construction Documents is needed by Contractor, Subcontractor, Vendor or Supplier, the request shall be processed through Contractor.

a. Review request for completeness, quality, proper referencing to drawing or specification section and reason submitted.

b. If request is not acceptable it shall be sent back to submitter with comments regarding reason for being returned.

c. Make every attempt to validate, resolve or respond to RFI by thoroughly researching and reviewing Contract Documents and field conditions.

d. Respond to RFI accordingly if review of RFI discloses a response or is related to coordination of construction or other issue not related to Contract Documents.

e. If unable to respond to request, it shall be restated in clear, concise, correct, complete and easily understood manner, and rewritten if necessary, additional information included if necessary, and only then submitted to CO for response.

2. Request for interpretation, clarification or explanation of Contract Documents shall be submitted to CO.

a. List specific Contract Documents researched when seeking information being requested.

b. Reference all applicable Contract Drawings by sheet number, section, detail, room number, door number, etc., Specifications by section and paragraph number, and reference any other relevant documents.

c. The field titled "Regarding" on attached RFI form must be clear for future reference in reports or correspondence.

d. Clearly state request and provide Contract Document references and any additional information needed so request can be fully understood, including sketches, photos or other reference material.

e. Fully assess issues, suggest any reasonable solutions and include various factors, including potential costs, schedule impacts, if any, and recommendations which will aid in determining a solution or response. If a reasonable solution cannot be suggested, a statement to that effect should be so stated.

f. Indicate reason request is being submitted.

g. Any critical RFI’s requiring a rapid response shall clearly indicate such with an explanation as to why RFI is critical.

h. Priority for responses shall be indicated when multiple RFI’s are submitted within short period.

3. Copies of responses to RFI’s shall be distributed to all parties affected.

4. A response to RFI shall not be considered a notice to proceed with a change that may revise the Contract Sum or Contract Time, unless authorized by CO in writing.

5. If response to RFI is determined incomplete, it shall be resubmitted with reason response is unacceptable and any necessary additional information within five (5) days of time of receipt of response to RFI.

6. If determined or believed that additional cost or time is involved because of clarifications, interpretations or instructions issued by CO in response to a RFI, resubmit RFI within five (5) days of receipt of response with reason and alternate solution or suggestion for performing work at no additional cost. If no other solution is possible or desirable, submit Claim in accordance with the Contract Documents within twenty-one (21) days of receipt of response to the RFI.

C. RFI Submittal Format:

1. Request for information shall be submitted to CO on RFI form provided at end of this section, or form approved by COR in electronic text file format, or in similar format acceptable to CO.

RFI’s shall be assigned unique numbers in sequential order (1001, 1002, 1003, etc.) using the 1000 series numbers.

a. A resubmitted RFI or a previously answered RFI requiring revising or further clarification shall be submitted using original RFI number proceeded by “.1” to indicate revision one of RFI (i.e.: RFI No. 34.1 for revision 1 to RFI No. 34).

b. RFI form shall be electronically filled out and emailed to CO’s designated representative in text file format. Attachments shall be in electronic text or PDF file format. Photo attachments may be in JPG format.

D. RFI Submittal Process:

1. RFI’s shall be processed and submitted to CO on a web based project collaboration system.

a. Electronic file attachments of sketches, photos or other pertinent information may be linked to a RFI request.

b. Upon submittal of RFI, current date will be entered and an email notification will be sent to COR.

c. A unique RFI number in sequential order (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.).

d. If a previously submitted RFI request needs to be revised to provide additional information, a new RFI will need to be initiated. The new RFI shall be renumber with previous submitted RFI number and then add “.1” for revision one (i.e.: RFI No. 34.1 for revision 1 to RFI No. 34).

2. Submitted RFI’s will be responded to by COR.

a. COR may link electronic file attachments to RFI response in the system.

b. Upon response to RFI by COR, the current date and email notification will be sent to Contractor indicating submitted RFI has been responded to.

3. Contractor is responsible for tracking and submitting RFI roster.

E. COR’s Response to Request for Information (RFI):

1. Clarifications, interpretations and decisions of COR in response to RFI will be consistent with intent of and reasonably inferable from Contract Documents, and will be in writing.

2. COR shall provide responses to RFI’s with reasonable promptness, but will endeavor to respond within seven (7) days from date of receipt.

a. If multiple RFI’s are submitted on same day or within a five (5) day period, review time may be extended by agreement of parties

b. COR will provide a written response to RFI if COR believes response only involves an interpretation, clarification, supplemental information or orders a minor change in Work not involving an adjustment in Contract Sum or extension of Contract Time, and is not inconsistent with intent of Contract Documents, and shall be binding.

c. If COR believes response may result in a change to Contract Sum or Contract Time, response will indicate that a change document will be issued for the response, and appropriate change document will be issued indicating changes to Contract Documents.

d. COR will provide any additional or supplemental drawings, specifications or other information as Architect may deem necessary to facilitate response.

3. COR may return RFI without response for following reasons:

a. Unclear.

b. Incomplete.

c. Detailed information not provided.

d. Is related to construction means, methods or techniques.

e. Is related to health or safety measures.

f. Is due to Contractor’s lack of adequate coordination.

g. Is considered a “Substitution Request.”

h. Is due to non-conformance.

i. Response is required by another party.

END OF SECTION

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