Attachment J - 437-25-103 Electrical Testing Questions and Answers Responses.pdf

437-25-103, Electrical Testing Questions and Answers

1. Scope of work General Intention states “furnish all labor, materials and equipment to test electrical equipment on the Fargo VA campus and correct both known and discovered deficiencies”. How is it possible to bid discovered deficiencies before they are known?

A Contract Modification (RFM) will be used as needed to compensate for unforeseen deficiencies.

2. Please clarify if the prime contractors need to have a site superintendent, Quality Control

Manager, and a SSHO or can these duties all be handled by the site superintendent?

a. C. These Competent Persons can have collateral duties as the subcontractor’s superintendent and/or work crew lead persons as well as

b. fill more than one specialized CP role (i.e. Asbestos, Electrical, Cranes, & Derricks, Demolition, Fall Protection, Fire Safety/Life Safety, Ladder, Rigging, Scaffolds, and

Trenches/Excavations). However, the SSHO has be a separate qualified individual from the

Prime Contractor’s Superintendent and/or Quality Control Manager with duties only as the

SSHO. The SSHO or an equally qualified Designated Representative/alternate will maintain a presence on the site during construction operations in accordance with FAR Clause

52.236-6: Superintendence by the Contractor. CPs will maintain presence during their construction activities in accordance with above mentioned clause. A listing of the designated SSHO and all known CPs shall be submitted prior to the start of work as part of the APP with the training documentation and/or AHA.

These Competent Persons can have collateral duties as the subcontractor’s superintendent and/or work crew lead persons as well as fill more than one specialized CP role (i.e. Asbestos, Electrical, Cranes, & Derricks, Demolition, Fall Protection, Fire Safety/Life Safety, Ladder, Rigging, Scaffolds, and Trenches/Excavations)

3. Specification (32 31 13) Chain Link Fences and Gates are in the specifications and indicate to remove existing fences and gates and layout fence. I cannot locate anything on the drawings for this work. Please advise

a. C. Remove existing fences and gates to permit new installation. Retain existing fences and gates for reuse. Dispose of other removed materials.

3.2 INSTALLATION

a. Layout fence and locate position of post.

Fence specs were included accommodate existing site conditions. Fencing may need to be taken down to replace Transformer T56. The specification is for contractors in the event they damage or have to replace any fencing assembly.

4. Any complete previous test results available?

Yes, see attached.

5. Specifications are written for construction?

Yes, this is a construction contract.

6. This is for testing and maintenance only?

No. This also involves replacement of breakers, panels, and transformers. This is a construction contract.

7. Do you want the SOW items showing replace replaced or not?

Yes, items identified as replace will be replaced.

8. Circuit breakers required to have primary injection test or is secondary acceptable.

All new and re-wired breakers must be tested with Primary Injection to verify coordinated protection and installation workmanship. Secondary testing is acceptable for all other breakers.

9. Is a complete equipment list available?

Yes. One Line diagrams and SOW describe all electrical equipment that will be addressed under this contract.

10. What is the size of the new pad mounted medium voltage transformer T1-C and feeder for

T1-C?

Drawing Sheet E-7.0 shows a typical slab design, but the contractor will be responsible for coordinating final slab dimensions with transformer manufacturer requirements. Feeder size shall be 4/0 or better with jacket rating of 25kV and comply with NFPA 70E requirements.

11. Is primary injection required on any of the breakers?

Yes – See Question #8 above.

12. Please confirm if designated working hours are off-hours, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 AM.

Both Day, and Off Shift working hours may be needed to accommodate Hospital operations, and neighboring community noise and dust production. See SOW, B. Description of Work, 4th paragraph.

13. Is it possible to update the SAM.gov site to reflect the new project Deadlines?

Project deadlines are dependent on award dates which are unknown at this time. A timeline is included in the SOW and allows time for events such as long lead items and utility outages.

Attachment B: Appendix A is the schedule from the previous electrical study for reference.

14. What specific licensure is required to perform this project in the state of North Dakota?

The VA is not bound by State or Local License Requirements. Contractors shall provide a competent person who is NETA ETT, or equivalent, qualified to oversee testing in accordance with

VHA Directive 1028 intentions.

15. Are all 56 items called out the previous studies to be replaced part of the construction scope for this job?

Items marked in Statement of Work with “Replace” shall be replaced.

16. Please clarify if there is any generator Maintenance, Coolant replacements and/or

Generator battery replacements included in this project or SOW.

Work shall include, but shall not be limited to, providing all required electrical distribution system testing and maintenance on the emergency generators, transformers, switchgear, transfer switches, circuit breakers, motor control centers, and all other items noted in the contract documents. No maintenance is anticipated on the electrical generator except for any components directly related to electrical distribution. Maintenance shall include but not be exclusively limited to the follow activities:

a. Use lint-free rags to clean conductors, contact points between the circuit breakers and main buss bars, buss bars and interior of the electrical equipment. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove large debris; compressed air is not to be used for this purpose.

Visually inspect for signs of overheating, misaligned contacts, damaged insulation, or lose lugs.

b. Lubricate all moving parts with manufacturer’s approved lubricants.

17. Can you provide the latest test report as a reference (This may clarify many doubts)?

Yes. See attached report.

18. The Scope of Work requests testing of generators, transformers, switchgears, transfer switches, circuit breakers. Please provide a list of equipment indicating the quantity of each item to be tested.

Refer to one-line diagrams and equipment schedules.

19. Regarding the devices listed in the previous question, please indicate which tests need to be performed. Attachment C appears to be a document related to construction projects and its tests are mostly for acceptance tests, new devices or commissioning items (which does not appear to be the case in this request).

This is a construction project to be clear. Commissioning, acceptance, and performance testing of each new component and system, will be required.

a. Electrical equipment (including, but not limited to switchgears, switchboards, distribution panels, motor control centers, and all related components) is inspected, tested, maintained, or calibrated every 36 months, and all work must be documented.

b. All molded case circuit breakers (including frames size 225 amps or less) must be tested to determine if contacts open and reclose when breaker is manually tripped and restored. All panels are to be tested including emergency panels. If no failures are encountered and the test is fully documented, the interval between molded case breaker testing may be up to but not to exceed 36 months between successive tests.

c. All molded case circuit breakers (including frames size 225 amps or less) must be tested to determine if contacts open and reclose when breaker is manually tripped and restored. All panels are to be tested including emergency panels. If no failures are encountered and the test is fully documented, the interval between molded case breaker testing may be up to but not to exceed 36 months between successive tests.

d. Calibrate and maintain adjustable protective relays.

e. Test all control systems equipment for proper operation after maintenance is performed and before placing them back in normal service.

20. If an inventory/list of equipment is not provided, please indicate which LV circuit breakers need to be tested (Example: Only main breakers, or Only 250A or larger breakers).

All molded case circuit breakers (including frames size 225 amps or less) must be tested to determine if contacts open and reclose when breaker is manually tripped and restored.

21. Can all breakers be tested by secondary injection?

No. Only existing breakers may be tested by secondary injection. New, rewired, or modified existing breakers must be tested by primary injection.

22. What type of testing should be done on generators? Any load bank testing is required?

Load bank testing is not required. This is accomplished under a separate contract. Contractor may be asked to perform testing at the same time as a load bank or monthly generator run.

23. Should all electrical equipment including branch panels be scanned with an infrared camera?

Identify the hot spots in the electrical equipment by using infra-red thermal detecting equipment.

Tighten problem connections to meet equipment manufacturers’ specification using a torque wrench or other approved devices.

24. Is the testing limited to the devices in the table that starts on page 6 of Attachment A Scope of Work (i.e. only 26 breakers will be tested)?

All new and rewired breakers must be tested with Primary Injection to verify coordinated protection and installation workmanship. Secondary testing is acceptable for all other breakers.

25. The table provided in the SOW appears to be a list of only the failed items. If you provide the latest test report you will be able to access the total quantities of each device type.

Yes, see attached.

26. Regarding the table mentioned in the previous question, some breakers require cleaning, inspection, and trip tests. On the other hand, other breakers, panels and busbars require Arc Flash

Device Evaluation Study (This also appeared in the Attachment C spec in section 26 05 73). This seems confusing: In addition to electrical testing, should this proposal include an Arc Flash Device

Evaluation Study for the entire electrical system?

Arc Flash evaluation is only required for newly installed devices under this contract.

27. Will we only test MV transformers or should LV transformers be included?

All transformers shown on the one-line drawings or otherwise explicitly mentioned in the SOW.

28. Regarding tests on medium voltage transformers, one possibility is to do oil sampling and IR

Scan. Are oil sampling, inspection and IR Scan sufficient?

Refer to section spec 26 12 19, 3.2 for testing requirements. Identify the hot spots in the electrical equipment by using infrared thermal detecting equipment. Tighten problem connections to meet equipment manufacturer’s specification using a torque wrench or other approved devices.

29. If the answer to the previous question is no, should we perform tests for Polarization Index, Excitation Current, Turns Ratio, Insulation and Winding Resistance on the transformers?

Refer to section spec 26 12 19, 3.2 for testing requirements.

Attachment H – 846770 Report – Hyko Solutions – Fargo VA – Signed