Question RFI No. 12 - Temporary Pumps Piping.docx
DOCX document 27 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 36C26126R0028
About this file
This is a Request for Information (RFI) document submitted by a contractor to clarify design requirements for temporary chilled water and hot water infrastructure during Phase 2 of a mechanical renovation project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). The RFI, numbered 12 and issued June 10, 2026, relates to Solicitation Number 36C26126R0028 (Project 570-20-308: Replace and Expand Chilled Water Infrastructure in Building 1) and references the Mechanical Phasing Plan (Drawing M-002) and related specifications (Section 23 21 13).
The contractor identifies significant ambiguities in the Phase 2 requirements for providing temporary pumps and piping connections to maintain continuous service to existing chilled water and hot water risers during sub-basement piping work. The RFI requests the Architect/Engineer of Record provide specific design parameters including: required temporary capacity (tons/MBH), design flow (GPM), pump head, and supply/return temperatures; identification of areas and loads requiring continuous service with redundancy requirements; quantity, sizing, electrical power source, and control specifications for temporary pumps; temporary piping sizes, materials, routing, lengths, insulation, connection points, and isolation provisions; expected seasonal changeover frequency and operational responsibility; anticipated duration and allowable outage windows; and scope confirmation that the contractor furnishes, installs, operates, maintains, and removes the temporary system as part of the base bid. The Project Manager's response dated July 1, 2025 indicates that Update Sheets MP101A-1 and MP101B-1 in Bulletin 1 provide diagrammatic layouts, that all risers must remain operational until full transition to new risers, and that updated Schedule M-601 details requirements for two temporary pumps.
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Text version
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FORM
Contractor Name:
Address:
Phone and Email:
Send to: charee.harris@va.gov
RFI
| PROJECT NO.: |
| 570-20-308 |
| RFI NO.: |
| 12 |
| PROJECT NAME: |
| Chilled Water Infrastructure |
| DATE REQUESTED: |
| 6/10/26 |
| SOLICITATION NO.: |
| 36C26126R0028 |
| REFERENCE: |
| M-002 Mechanical Phasing Plan, Phase 2 / Temporary Chilled & Hot Water |
| DRAWING: |
| M-002; MP101 series; M-601 (P-TEMP) |
| SPECIFICATION SECTION: |
23 21 13 / 01 00 00
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM OR INFORMATION BEING REQUESTED
Per Phase 2 of the Mechanical Phasing Plan (Drawing M-002), the contractor is to provide temporary pumps and temporary connections from the chilled water/hot water mains (depending on the season) to the existing risers during the sub-basement piping work, to then be replaced with temporary piping from the new piping to the existing risers for the duration of the project (through removal at Phase 13). As written, Phase 2 is vague and does not contain the information or details needed to properly price the temporary piping and pumps. This is a design-bid-build project; bidders require the following from the Architect/Engineer of Record to develop a fixed price:
(a) Performance basis — the required temporary capacity (tons / MBH), design flow (GPM), pump head, and design supply/return temperatures for both the chilled-water and hot-water seasonal conditions;
(b) Loads/areas served — which existing risers, areas, and loads must remain in continuous service during Phase 2, and any minimum redundancy (e.g., standby/N+1) required for occupied patient-care spaces;
(c) Temporary pumps — quantity, size, standby requirement, and the electrical power source/characteristics and controls the temporary pumps are to connect to (and by whom);
(d) Temporary piping — size(s), material, routing/path, approximate lengths, insulation, and the specific connection/tie-in points at the mains and at the existing risers, including isolation and shutdown provisions;
(e) Seasonal changeover — the expected number of chilled-to-hot (and reverse) changeovers, and who is responsible for operating the changeover during the temporary period;
(f) Duration and operation — the anticipated duration the temporary system must remain in service, allowable system-interruption/outage windows, and water treatment/makeup/glycol requirements; and
(g) Scope confirmation — confirmation that the temporary system is to be furnished, installed, operated, maintained, and ultimately removed by the contractor as part of the base bid.
Absent this information, the temporary piping and pumps required by Phase 2 cannot be accurately quantified or priced.
PROJECT MANAGER’S RESPONSE
Update sheets MP101A-1 and MP101B-1 in Bulletin 1 issued July 1, 2025 show a diagramatic layout for the required temporary piping. All risers will be required to be maintained operational until the system is fully transitioned to the new risers. Updated schedule on M-601 details the requirements for the two (2) temporary pumps.
Justin Millerberg, Davenergy Solutions
| TRACKING NO.: |
| AMENDMENT NO.: |
| VA PROJECT ENGINEER/MANAGER: |
| DATE: |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .