36C26119R0026-0002002.pdf

RFP 36C26119R0026

Replace/Upgrade Med Gas and Headwalls

RFI/Questions

1. In the SOW, Phase 1, Sequence 1, it mentions: “- Sequence 1: The contractor shall install 1 main oxygen isolation valve, 1 main medical air isolation valve and 1 main vacuum isolation valve on the gas pipes serving the entire ward. The main isolation valves shall control medical gas throughout 1A-203 ward. The main isolation valves shall be located on the corridor wall near Room

1A-33. The valves shall be easily accessible.”

It was discovered during a recent site visit that such an isolation already exists. See below picture.

Do the existing Isolation Valves fulfill this requirement? Are the existing isolation valves being replaced? Or will this requirement be removed from the SOW?

VA Response: The Valve indicated on the picture is an Oxygen Valve. We are looking to install 3 Isolation

Valves, one for each Medical gas. Air and vacuum isolation valves do not currently exist in 1A. All isolation shutoff valves shall be on the wall adjacent to the 1A-33 door, near the existing oxygen shutoff.

Maintenance valves shall be accessible through the suspended grid ceiling tiles and labeled with information on the location of the shutoff valve.

2. In the SOW, Phase 1, it states: “At the end of each sequence, materials testing activities and inspection services shall be conducted to recertify the systems and a report from a 3rd party certified inspector shall be submitted as required by NFPA 99c.”

Will the contractor be required to supply the 3rd party certified inspector, or will the VA provide?

Also, does the VA require the contractor to use a specific 3rd party certifying inspector? If so, who is that company?

VA Response: Med gas and nurse call/code blue testing shall be provided the contractor and be performed by an independent, third-party. A specific third-party inspector is not required for med gas testing. Installation and testing and Code Blue and Nurse Call systems shall be coordinated through

Johnson Controls Inc. and Rab-Com Limited (RCL), respectively.

3. Please confirm the quantity of maintenance valve locations. On the provided drawing titled

“Headwalls, AOV Lines and Maintenance Valves Layout”, there are (13) maintenance valve locations. Some of these valves will service 2 separate rooms and as many as 4 single headwall units (or 2 double units) as in the wall between 1A-25 and 1A-24. Please confirm that we are not required to install a maintenance valve for each headwall connection.

VA Response: The Maintenance valves are installed between the Main AOV lines and the T connecting pipes serving headwalls. It is not one set of maintenance valves per headwall. Yes, you could have one

Maintenance valves controlling 2 headwalls units. There are twelve total. The revised attached drawing titled, “Headwalls, AOV Lines and Maintenance Valves,” shows locations.

4. In the SOW, Phase 2, Demolition and Abatement, It states: “Contractor shall disconnect, dismantle as necessary, remove and reinstall in new location, all existing equipment and items shown to be relocated by the Contractor and create required space for headwalls, equipment rail, and service chase. Contractor shall perform relocation of such equipment as directed by the

COR. The Contractor is responsible for all asbestos abatement work necessary for installation of the new headwalls.”

What is the extent of the asbestos abatement? Will the contractor be required to have an abatement contractor remove the Gypsum board for the service chase and nothing else? Is the requirement to abate as necessary or will ALL ACM be required to be removed from each room?

Is air sampling required for abatement? Is an abatement sub-contractor required or can a competent person employed by the Prime contractor perform the work?

5. Please clarify if the building has asbestos. If yes, please clarify what areas contain the asbestos?

6. Please clarify if contractor will be responsible for asbestos survey prior to commence the work?

VA Response: See the solicitation for a drawing of ACM locations. The abatement work is only for the area where the equipment is being installed. See the specifications section 02 82 11, “Traditional

Asbestos Abatement,” for requirements. The VA will provide testing of the gypsum wallboard.

7. With removal of the Gypsum Board for the utility service chases, and also miscellaneous associated patching, will the contractor be required to patch and paint as needed? Or will the entire effected wall be painted from corner to corner? Or will the entire room need to be re-painted?

VA Response: The contractor shall patch and repaint impacted rooms in their entirety.

8. Can the utility service chase in each room be externally mounted or will they be required to be installed in the wall between studs?

VA Response: The utility Service Chase shall be externally mounted. The service chase shall be a prefabricated unit from the same manufacturer as the headwalls, provided as an integrated headwall/service chase system.

9. Please confirm the quantity of headwalls. In the SOW, Phase 2, Section B, the quantity is counted as their being (23) headwalls. In the SOW, Phase 2, Phasing Plan for Headwall

Installation, it references (24) headwalls. I believe the discrepancy is in Room 1A-52. One section shows 1A-52 as being a double bed room and the other shows 1A-52 as being a single.

Please Confirm.

VA Response: Room 1A-52 is a single patient bed. There are 23 headwalls.

10. When the SOW references headwalls as “double bed” and “single bed”, does this reference the quantity of single headwall units per room? Example: A “double bed” room will have quantity

(2) single headwall units in it? Whether they are located next to each other or on opposite sides of the room, it still indicates each headwall unit will be independent of one another?

VA Response: “Double” headwalls are two single headwall units separated by a service chase, and a single headwall is one headwall with a service chase. Some rooms have 2 single beds on 2 separate walls, each of which would have a service chase. See Headwalls, AOV Lines and Maintenances valves layout. (Subject to Contractor field verification).

11. In the proposed headwall layout, where is the bed? New construction typically does not put any services behind the bed to avoid back injuries by the clinicians.

VA Response: Bed locations are nominally shown in the schematic drawing and shall remain the same for accessibility, privacy curtain location and other reasons. Headwall, light, and bed layout will be coordinated with the COR and may depend on headwall dimensions.

12. In the SOW, Phase 1, Section E, it states: “The Contractor shall add 18 dedicated circuits from the electrical closets 1EL-28SF and 1 EL-152SF located within 1A wing.”

Is a dedicated circuit required for each room or is a dedicated circuit required for each headwall?

If a dedicated circuit is required for each headwall, there will be more than 18 dedicated circuits.

Is there already conduit routed from the distribution panels in closets 1EL-1 and 1EL-2 to the respective rooms? Or will the contractor be required to install new conduit for each dedicated circuit? Is there enough room in the respective power distribution panels to accommodate these dedicated circuits?

VA Response: Refer to attached documents for clarification: Headwall Sketch, Circuit Schedule for

Headwall units, and B203 As-built first floor A-wing- Elec. Power drawings. Per the attachments, the contractor shall provide new circuits and/or reuse existing circuits. As-built drawings are provided for reference only; field investigation is required.

13. The solicitation states “add 18 dedicated circuits from the electrical closets 1EL-2 and 1EL-1.”

How are these outlets to be distributed throughout the patient rooms?

VA Response: Refer to “Circuit Schedule for Headwall units” for clarification. Per the SOW, the contractor shall provide 18 dedicated circuits. Twelve are identified in the attached schedule. The remaining six will be determined after field verification.

14. Are the existing lighting fixtures above the headwalls to be retained and re-used? Or is the contractor required to provide and install new, above headwall lighting?

VA Response: The existing lighting fixtures above the headwalls are to be reused. Headwall, light, and bed layout will be coordinated with the COR and may depend on headwall dimensions.

15. Can the VA supply detailed pictures of Electrical Distribution Panels and the breakers, and the panel information tag located in 1EL-1 and 1EL-2?

VA Response: See attached pictures, for reference only.

16. Contractor Parking Locations - Can you provide the location and number of spaces that will be allocated for the life of the project?

VA Response: The VA does not provide dedicated parking for Contractor POVs.

17. Travel Path - Can you provide the specified/preferred method of contractor entry/exit and equipment/material transport path?

VA Response: Contractor will use the Delivery docks and Service Elevators at Building 203. The clean dock shall be used for delivery of new materials/equipment, and the dirty dock shall be used for removal of constructional material from the job site. The contractor shall cover the walls of the elevator cabs and provide maximum protection of the elevator cabs. The contractor shall coordinate with the COR for cab protection and delivery capacity.

18. Storage/Laydown Area - Can you provide the location where the contractor may store materials/equipment during the life of the project?

VA Response: The laydown space for construction material/equipment will be assigned prior to mobilization, after approval of the contractor’s laydown plan.

19. It is our understanding that the VA possesses and wishes to use 18 nurse call stations. Are these

NEW units or is the intent to re-use existing/operating panels? IF they are new units, are they still sealed/boxed from the manufacturer?

VA Response: The VA intends to reuse existing Nurse Call and Code Blue. An additional (5) Nurse Call and Code Blue systems of the same brand and model will be furnished by the contractor.

20. Can you offer the Contact information of the contractor that currently services the nurse call system/code blue equipment? This will assist with procurement of the needed additional equipment devices.

VA Response: The code blue/nurse call system is serviced by Johnson Controls Inc. and Rab-Com Limited

(RCL) through a VA contract.

21. Personnel Requirements - It our understanding from the solicitation that the Superintendent may share the role of SSHO (Site Safety and Health Officer). Is the VA also requiring a QCM

(Quality Control Manager) on site?

VA Response: The Superintendent must have a 30-HR OSHA certification and could also assume the role of Safety Officer. The VA requires a superintendent and the QCM to be on site full-time.

22. Please clarify if quality manager will need to be full time onsite during the construction?

VA Response: The VA requires a superintendent and the QCM to be on site full-time.

23. The better understand the existing piping's securement, are there 'as built' drawings available?

VA Response: AOV as-built drawings are not available. All materials provided are subject to field verification by the contractor.

24. Based on the SOW presented, it seems the space will be occupied, however the wing will need to be shut down as the individual boards (call stations) cannot be individually isolated. Please advise.

VA Response: Any required shutdowns will be coordinated through the COR.

25. Regarding the newly installed piping; can lock ring connections be used in lieu of brazed/welded fittings/joints to simplify/expedite installation?

VA Response: Either method may be used. Method of procedure shall be submitted to the COR before approval prior to start of work.

26. Are there existing data outlets at every bed location?

VA Response: There are existing data outlets, but the contractor cannot reuse existing them. The new data outlets shall be installed on the headwall.

27. Confirm that the existing data cables will be used. Once the new headwalls are installed the existing cables will be re-terminated and tested.

VA Response: If the headwall is near an existing data connection, the cabling may be reused, re-terminated, and tests. If the headwall is not near an existing connection, the contractor shall run new cables from the IT closet.

28. Can we offer a 4” surface mounted solution? This proposal was offer at another VA campus and accepted, offering a cost savings and schedule benefit to the overall project.

29. Would using the Amico NuLook be an acceptable solution? This system was recently installed at another campus location for the VA.

VA Response: Headwalls shall meet the specifications of section 10 25 13, Patient Bed Service Walls.

30. What are the current stud sizes in the facility? Will the current framing be able to handle the new weight load of the new surface mounted devices and equipment loads when fully outfitted.

31. Will there been a need for support backing to be installed at the existing headwalls walls for seismic bracing ?

VA Response: All equipment will be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements.