Attachment 01- Tech Questions Tracker - Pitts-Heinz Partial.docx

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND

Awen: VA to advise.

Awen: VA to advise.

IMEG: The split system replacement scope in rooms which do not show the associated condensing unit or pipe routing was added at the end of the project and we did not have the locations of those units verified at that time.

IMEG: Please see sheet 00-MG600.

consultant. Is this consultant to be provided by the Owner, or should the door vendor include the consultant in their pricing.

Door vendor to include in their consultant pricing.

and keyways that are to be provided for this project. Is the subcontractor to provide the final cores and keying, or is there an existing keying system.

Awen: GC to provide Standard Core Best Access System door cores to match existing Facility Standards to VA Locksmith for final keying and station coordination.

on the door hardware sets, as some of the provided information is vague.

Specifically, Integral Hinge Guard Channel, Adjust-Screws, and In-Hinge Access Panel, and the BHMA numbers.

Awen: Integral Hinge Guard Channel = is a feature that comes with a Continuous Hinge that protects the assembly, Adjust-Screws = Adjustable Screws, In-Hinge Access Panel = Concealed raceway in the door’s hinge for an electrified lock, BHMA numbers = confirm with VA to match existing Facility Standards

enamel will work instead of primed for exterior of cabinets?

Awen: VA to provide.

not reference fire extinguishers, nor is there a specification specifically for fire extinguishers. Please clarify who is responsible for procuring the fire extinguishers. If the CM is responsible, please provide specification and / or size requirements.

Utilize Class C Fire Extinguisher

GA130A New TR and GA130B New Storage. The Room Finish Schedule on 50-AE601 only reference room GA130A. Please provide room finishes for room GA130B New Storage.

Awen: GA130B confirm with VA to match existing VA Facility Standard to match existing Storage Rooms standards.

section in the CMU wall fill; however, the referenced detail shows a stud wall. Please advise which material should be used.

Awen: New wall fill should match adjacent existing wall material and finishes. Align with adjacent wall faces.

information regarding the linoleum flooring.

Awen: Reference the Project Manual for 090600 Schedule of Finishes for BOD VCT.

the RFI submission date and bid submission date of two weeks each.

The proposal due date has been extended to 7/7/2026.

Please confirm whether Honeywell security platforms (including Access Control, Video Management, enterprise head end software, or integrated security solutions) are acceptable as alternates or equals to the specified base building systems, either as primary systems or through integration.

Awen: Security scope for EHRM must be compatible with existing base building system. Base building access controls and video surveillance system recently upgraded. VA security to advise on current installed system.

Will the bid include any additive alternates, voluntary alternates, or allowances related to security, access control, video, or infrastructure upgrades that are not shown in the current drawings and specifications?

Awen: See sheet 00-TY001 for security allowances to carry into bid, to be provided as credit back to VA if unused. This is included to cover unforeseen conditions and scope of the existing system.

Are there any future phases, deferred security upgrades, or planned expansions anticipated that may be awarded under this same contract, task order, or a related package, even if not included in the current bid set?

Awen: VA to advise.

Are any enterprise level security upgrades planned or under consideration (e.g., command center functionality, enterprise access control management, monitoring, analytics, cybersecurity, or system consolidation) that would be separate from base building device standards?

Awen: VA to advise.

While drawings indicate existing ACRE access control panels are to remain, please confirm whether any of the following are included or anticipated:

For new cameras and SSTV devices:

Please clarify whether the contractor is responsible for system integration, middleware, or interoperability between existing systems and new devices, and whether alternate integration platforms are acceptable.

Awen: VA to advise.

If no additional scope, alternates, integration responsibilities, or future phases are anticipated, please confirm that the current documents represent the final and complete security scope for this project.

Awen: VA to advise.

IMEG: Refer to Technology details for conduit installation, spacing, and tracer requirements. Defer to Civil details if discrepancy is present for concrete, depth, and backfill requirements.

b. Are we to abandon the rails in place and provide a permanent cap?

IMEG: The expectation is that the rails would remain in order to eliminate roofing concerns. Any penetrations of the rails would be sealed.

Please confirm whether this note applies in all instances. If so, please provide the existing panel information so we can accurately quote these replacements.

IMEG: Note applies in all instances of its use on the construction drawings. The existing electrical panelboard does not have sufficient pole space to accommodate the installation of the new circuit breaker and thusly needs to be replaced. The contractor shall field verify the existing branch circuit breaker ratings/quantities and panel kAIC rating and provide new panelboard to match.

coordinate the location of all drip pans for the leak detection monitoring in the TR rooms.

a. Please identify how many drip pans are to be installed for each of the TR rooms for each Building.

IMEG: Assume one pan per TR

coordinate all Rack-Mounted Sensors with the Telecommunications Contractor and is responsible to integrate these into the Facility Controls System. Also, Mechanical Drawing 00-MG700; detail #1: shows a Rack/Cabinet Temperature per Rack.

a. Please identify how many Rack Temperature/Humidity Sensors are to be installed. Does this include any Existing Racks?

b. 00-MG700; detail #1 is the only Control Diagram showing these sensors. Is this only for Building #32 Computer Room BA120; CRAC-1,2,3,4,5, and 6 units or is it a requirement for all Racks? Is this sensor to be by the Temperature Control Contractor or by the Telecommunications Contractor?

c. These notes have been found on the Enlarged Plans for Buildings # 32, 49, 51, 69, 70, 71 only. Are these requirements needed for buildings #52 and 53?

IMEG:

a. Each new rack in the data center shall have three sensors.

b. It is only for Building 32 Computer Room BA120. TR racks do not require it. Sensor is expected to be provided by the controls contractor.

c. Please disregard notes for any buildings or rooms other than Building 32 Computer Room BA120.

IMEG to review Detail. Detail may need to be revised.

Contract documents reference multiple notification periods for after-hours work, shutdowns, and outages. Please clarify the required notice periods for each activity type and identify the governing requirement. Additionally, the drawings limit construction to three telecom rooms at one time and require completion of each telecom room scope within ten calendar days unless approved by the VA. Please confirm whether the ten-day duration includes abatement, demolition, architectural construction, mechanical and electrical work, security installation, cabling, testing, inspections, punch list activities, and VA OIT cutovers.

Awen: VA to advise.

Please define utility outage classifications, required notification periods, allowable outage windows, and sequencing restrictions for electrical, HVAC, telecommunications, fire alarm, fire protection, security, and plumbing systems. Clarify outage requirements associated with panel replacements, new telecom panels, feeder modifications, and any temporary power requirements.

Awen: VA to advise.

Please identify approved contractor laydown areas, material storage areas, loading/unloading zones, dumpster locations, temporary office locations, and personnel parking locations. Confirm any restrictions associated with deliveries, working hours, access routes, and elevator use.

Langan: In order to remain under 1 acre to not trigger a NPDES permit, the laydown area must remain at or under 8,600 SF. See below for the recommended area for the laydown area in the parking lot northwest of building #70, located near the entrance to the site.

Provide the complete contractor scope associated with BA120 and WAN infrastructure upgrades, including rack modifications, fiber terminations, cabinet work, interconnectivity, outage sequencing, after-hours requirements, contractor versus VA OIT responsibilities, cutovers, testing, and acceptance criteria.

IMEG: Contractor is responsible or all infrastructure and cabling requirements. VA Migration team will assist with all active equipment requirements. Contractor to work with VA to accommodate all migration activities.

Identify the existing BAS/DDC platform, controls manufacturer, service provider, licensing requirements, network ownership, integration responsibilities, monitoring points, alarm requirements, trending requirements, and commissioning responsibilities.

IMEG: VA to confirm current vendor.

Provide existing Acre/Miller system architecture, panel capacities, switch capacities, head-end locations, security vendor requirements, access control integration requirements, and a door-by-door security hardware matrix.

Awen: VA to advise.

Provide basis-of-design manufacturers and models for CRAC units, split systems, and telecom room cooling systems. Identify approved manufacturers, approved equals, and any owner-preferred vendors.

IMEG: There is a basis of design manufacturer who provided selections of the mechanical equipment used for planning and scheduling. The VA has asked that manufacturers and model numbers be removed from the documents.

Provide all referenced hazardous material reports, clarify abatement limits, responsibility for newly discovered materials, and reconcile discrepancies between hazmat drawing references and numbering.

Awen: December 12, 2023, Hazardous Materials Report, provided as final bid set.

Confirm the suitability of existing condensate piping systems identified for reuse and clarify responsibility if existing piping is unsuitable.

IMEG: The condensate piping is expected to be adequate. If concerns are found during construction, they should be brought to the design team for review.

Define temporary cooling requirements, acceptable downtime limits, monitoring requirements, and responsibilities for temporary equipment during HVAC cutovers.

Awen: VA to advise.

Clarify contractual responsibility and available relief for concealed conditions, undocumented utilities, inaccessible pathways, existing equipment conflicts, and conditions differing from design assumptions.

Awen: VA to advise.

Provide a commissioning responsibility matrix identifying responsibilities of all parties including contractors, vendors, commissioning agent, and VA personnel.

Refer to Specification 01 91 00, Section 3.1, for the roles and responsibilities matrices. These matrices delineate the responsibilities of all parties from the construction phase through project acceptance and are based on Veterans Administration standards as documented in the Technical Information Library.

Provide required temperature and humidity setpoints, cooling redundancy requirements, monitoring requirements, alarm thresholds, environmental acceptance criteria, BAS integration requirements, and commissioning requirements.

IMEG: Refer to the control sequences on sheet 00-MG700.

Provide a complete matrix identifying all owner-furnished, owner-installed, contractor-furnished, and contractor-installed equipment.

VA to advise specifically anything that is owner furnished: OFCI.

Confirm required scope in all abandoned or decommissioned rooms including cable removal, salvage, utility abandonment, system modifications, and finish restoration.

IMEG: All equipment, materials, and infrastructure that is made obsolete from new work shall be removed once cutover is complete. New work is defined on the construction drawings. Existing devices, cabling, and equipment not included within the project's scope shall remain in place and fully operational. Examples of systems to remain include, but are not limited to, existing voice cabling and associated termination hardware, healthcare system head-end equipment, and CATV head-end equipment. Refer to Sheet 00-TG000 – Technology Coversheet for additional phasing requirements and considerations. Refer to Section 27 05 11 for additional demolition requirements. In accordance with Section 3.5.B, remove and dispose of all equipment, materials, and infrastructure made obsolete by the new work.

Awen: All existing finished assemblies to be protected and maintained during construction. All existing finished assemblies affected by the work to be repaired and finished to original condition and, where demolished, repaired and finished to match adjacent assembly.

Clarify contractor responsibilities if existing conduits, pathways, and backboxes are unsuitable for reuse.

IMEG: All existing conduit and backboxes to be re-used where suitable at maximum 40% fill capacity. Provide a new pathway at locations exceeding 40% fill capacity. At all locations with (3) or more cables that include a ½” conduit, assume new pathway will be required. Assume 20% of outlets represent this condition and provide cost in bid.

Contractor shall provide cost to include surface mount raceway or fished flexible conduit in walls for all locations where existing conditions include cabling fished down wall cavities. Assume 25% of outlets represent this condition and provide cost for new pathway in bid.

For existing rough-in locations with shallow back boxes: provide a surface mount backbox installed over top of existing in-wall backbox to allow for bend radius of new Category 6A cabling.

Provide final A-leg and B-leg routing requirements, conduit quantities, duct bank quantities, spare conduit requirements, handhole requirements, pathway separation requirements, and splice restrictions.

IMEG: Refer to 00-TS101 for A-Leg and B-Leg conduits and routing.

Identify all telecom rooms requiring formal variances and clarify contractor responsibilities for cable distance verification and compliance documentation.

IMEG: Contractor shall field mesure the horizontal work area outlet routes from each TR to ensure no route exceeds 295’ total permanent link length. Preferred routing shall utilize corridors, but unique case routing above adjacent occupied spaces may be required to achieve cable distance requirements. Unique conditions may require a more direct route than following corridors. Contractor shall verify all building routes prior to starting work.

Clarify whether the base bid shall include downstream panel, feeder, transformer, or distribution upgrades if capacity is insufficient.

IMEG: The contractor shall include pricing for upgrading any existing inadequate electrical equipment.

Clarify required concrete strength, flowable fill requirements, and acceptable backfill materials for all duct bank and trench installations.

Please clarify whether flowable fill / flow fill is required for ALL duct bank trench backfill. The duct bank details on 00-TG500 and 00-CS501 & 00-CS502 show different specs and direction. Please confirm whether flowable fill is required only in paved/travel areas, or whether suitable excavated material compacted per specifications is acceptable in lawn/soil restoration areas.

Concrete PSI – Please confirm whether duct bank encasement concrete is to be 2000 PSI (p. 00-CS502), 2500 PSI (p. 00-TG500, or 4,000 PSI (spec sheets).

Langan: Suitable excavated material compacted per specifications may be utilized in lawn/soil restoration areas. Langan defers to the Telecommunications team for concrete strength of duct bank and where concrete duct bank is necessary.

It is recommended that the entire duct bank is concrete encased.

Identify the governing drawing set and reconcile discrepancies in sheet counts, drawing references, sheet numbering, and hazmat drawing references.

Campus Orientation - 00-GI101 depicts the campus in a different orientation (Villas are Southwest in Generals. Villas are Northeast in Civils), and Generals has buildings labeled differently than Civil Drawings (example: Bldg 50 & 51).

Langan: Awen to advise on governing drawing set. Civil drawing set has True North pointing up on the sheet. With respect to labeling of buildings, Langan defers to Awen.

Awen: Orientation for True North is shown on the Civil Drawings. 00-GI101 indicates Plan North (not true north) as it is the Campus Map for the facility. Buildings 50 and 51 are noted as Community Living Center aligned with the current campus website.

The fiber backbone specifications identify dielectric fiber cable types but do not clearly indicate whether armored fiber is required. Please confirm whether backbone and inter-building fiber cabling shall be armored or non-armored and identify any applicable VA, OIT, or campus standards governing fiber cable construction.

IMEG: Indoor/Outdoor rated armored fiber optic cabling is acceptable. Refer to Division 27 specifications and OIT ISTS manuals for cable construction requirements.

The Civil and General Technology pages indicate site, electrical, & technology scopes at the exteriors of the Villa Buildings. There are no Drawings Sets dedicated to Buildings 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68.

IMEG: The scope of work for these buildings is to replace the fiber backbone feeding the buildings. There is no replacement of data outlets inside the buildings.

"EPY/SD." SD is not listed in abbreviation key on the same pages.

Please define was SD stands for, and if needed provide a specification.

Additionally, No specification is provided for EPY epoxy. Please provide.

Awen: Finish should be SDT = Static Dissipative Tile.

ground floor. This tag is for the second floor, not ground. Per drawings 71-AE100 and 71-AE102, Room 2C109 does not exist on the ground floor and Office 2C209 does not require scope. Please confirm the door 2C109 shown on the door schedule is not required.

Awen: Disregard 2C109 as there is only GA119 at the Ground Level.

diagrams, several existing normal and emergency panels are noted for replacement. For example, on page 50-EN401, ENLARGED PLAN – FIRST FLOOR – TR 1A129, Detail C5, Note 1 states: “Replace existing panel with new 54 circuit and 200 MCB panel.”

Please confirm whether this note applies in all instances. If so, please provide the existing panel information so we can accurately quote these replacements.

IMEG: Note applies in all instances of its use on the construction drawings. The existing electrical panelboard does not have sufficient pole space to accommodate the installation of the new circuit breaker and thusly needs to be replaced. The contractor shall field verify the existing branch circuit breaker ratings/quantities and panel kAIC rating and provide new panelboard to match.

walk, access to this space was restricted. Pictures of the existing units would be greatly appreciated. UPS nameplate information, battery count, etc.

IMEG: Both ‘UPS-A’ and ‘UPS-B’ are Powerware 9315, 480V -3ph-3wire Uninterruptible Power System, system # 9315 – 300, model 300 with three battery sections.

1” according to the technology equipment schedule. This handhole is a Hubbel/Quazite #PG2424BB24 with an associated top. The depth of these boxes is 24 inches. Telecom ductbank details call out for a maximum top-to-conduit depth of 30”. Handhole details show stubbing into the open bottom of PW-HH-1 Handhole. Given that the underground duct banks are 4” conduit, a standard radius elbow will not allow for an as designed installation. Given that information, please advise on the following.

1. No specifications were supplied for the installation of the underground duct; it has been assumed that any radius fittings would be rigid steel, and 90s would be sweep radius fittings. Does the VA have a minimum sweep radius in mind when installing underground ducts?

2. Full NEC sweep radius cannot be achieved at handhole stub-up due to depth constraints. Will the VA accept a new maximum depth to the top of the conduit to accommodate a sweep radius into the bottom of the proposed Handhole? For Bidding purposes, can the VA supply a new maximum depth?

IMEG: The maximum 30-inch depth to top of conduit applies between handholes and pull boxes. Conduits may be routed deeper in the immediate vicinity of handholes as required to accommodate long-radius sweeps and manufacturer-recommended bend radii. As an alternative, provide a deeper handhole (36” or 48” depth).

protection or plumbing. Is that correct? A specifications has been provided for fire protection, but not plumbing.

IMEG: There is no plumbing scope. All fire protection requirements are indicated on the M sheets. Refer to 00-MG000 for general scope requirements – see Fire Protection General Notes and TR General Notes. Additionally see General and Sheet Notes throughout individual building M drawings for additional fire protection notations.

as M-F 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM. It also states that work performed outside of these working hours requires approval. Please define any work is not allowed during the defined normal working hours (ie: loud work, deliveries, shut downs, etc.)

Awen: VA to advise.

required on this project. Or if this role can be covered by other personnel on site performing dual duties.

Awen: VA to advise.

disturbed existing spray-applied fireproofing. Since the extent of this scope is not know, and will not be know until working in the building, we suggest all bidding contractors carry the same allowance. Please advise.

Awen: Agree all bidding contractors should carry the same allowance.

systems enter the buildings to TDR. Since this scope is not well defined, we suggest all bidding contractors carry the same allowance. Please advise.

Awen: Agree all bidding contractors should carry the same allowance.

architectural drawings say that plastic containment is acceptable, but temporary modular wall system must be used only when construction exceeds 48 hours. Page 6 of Specification 010110, states that no plastic will be used in separating construction from the Medical Center. and should only be used as a temporary measure until the modular wall system is installed. Please confirm which is correct.

In addition, please confirm a hard wall is not required for an ICRA barrier, and a temporary modular wall system is acceptable.

Awen: It is understood that plastic is acceptable in certain conditions. Confirm with VA Facility Safety Standards.

so, please provide the name and contact information for them?

Awen: Refer to sheet TY-001, Miller Information Systems is base building security vendor.