Amendment 9 36C78622R0020 Georgia NC Expansion Ph 2 (10-18-2022).pdf

1 RFP – Attachments (Bid Plan Drawings) There are 2 missing pages in the drawings. Page 54 – CG400 and Page 55 – CG110. Two of the pages were added twice (pages 51 – CG103 and 52 – CG104) and these 2 were omitted.

This information was addressed in Question 7, Amemdment 3, dated 9 Sept 2022.

2 01 33 23 Will the A/E be providing a submittal register for the required submittals for their review?

No, contractor to provide track required submittals. Submittals required by the Government are found within specific sections of specs.

3 RFP – Bid Plan Drawings Where is the schedule of finishes for the renovation of the Admin/Mx Building? See AE601 and specifications.

4 RFP – Bid Plan Renovation Admin/MX Bldg. – are security upgrades going to be necessary? No information has been provided?

Security improvements limited to 2 interior automated doors as identified in plans.

5 Drawing CS001 – Detail 1 Detail 1, Note 2 calls out the availability of Atlanta National Cemetery Construction documents – please provide these referenced drawings for bid

Contractors can access the documents through the following link and log on credentials. Go to http://www.gordon.us.com – Click on ‘Files’ -Enter your account and password

Account names/Passwords ARE case sensitive.

Account: vagnc

Password: 78cQvHk

6 CT100 – PIC/Admin Work Work can only be done during non-visitor hours, please provide those hours and confirm night work will be approved for this work

Visitor hours are 8 - 430, M - FR. Cemetery is closed on Sat and Sundays.

The Admin building staff works during these hours therefore, work in the Admin building will have to be coordinated outside these hours. The PIC staff are volunteers and typically work during scheduled funeral services within the same visitor hours; however, PIC staff hours vary on a daily basis. Work during visitor hours is possible if coordinated around the weekly funeral schedule. Work in the PIC will need to be coordinated outside of visitor hours.

7 CT100 – New Expansion Area New Expansion Area references blasting specification – this specification is not provided, please provide

No blasting specific specification, Note states "See specifications for additional information". Additional info is found in Earthwork spec and Geotech report (part of spec). Blasting Plan to be provided by contractor for RE/COR approval.

8 Specifications (Section 01 32 17) Will the use of Primavera P6 for meeting all the scheduling requirements in lieu of MS Project be permitted?

Yes

9 RFP Due Date RFIs are due 10/3 with RFP due 10/14 – to get Subs and timeliness of RFI responses, given the nature of missing info (example blasting specification) can the RFP due date be extended at least 2 weeks after RFI responses are posted?

The RFP due date is extended to 27 October. There is not a blasting spec, see question 7 response.

10 31 20 00 – 1.B.4

Specification Section 31 20 00 – 1.B.4 states blasting of rock is not allowed, however, Specification Section 31 20 00 – 3.2.C states blasting is approved in the expansion area with approval from the RE. Please confirm blasting operations will be approved in the expansion area?

Blasting allowed in expansion area only. Blasting in expansion area approved as part of Blasting Plan review / approval by the RE/COR.

Please confirm the onsite soil is suitable to be used as backfill, including excavated rock, so long as it is crushed onsite to meet the gradation requirements of the specifications.

Backfill to meet requirements of specifications, including Geotech report recommendations.

Please confirm the onsite topsoil stripping do not require screening or organic amendment to be respread onsite as topsoil.

Topsoil to meet requirements of specifications, including Geotech report recommendations.

13 31 20 00- 3.2.E

Specification section 31 20 00 – 3.2.E provides methods for over-excavation of unsuitable material encountered at building and columbarium areas. Please confirm if unsuitable material is expected to be encountered at these areas. If so, are these costs to be quantified and assumed in the bids?

There is always potential for unsuitable material. See plans, specifications and Geotech report for available information.

14 31 20 00- 3.5 Specification section 31 20 00 – 3.5 states all surplus soil is to be removed off cemetery property. Please confirm the contractor is to export all surplus soil.

Not anticipated that soil and rock to be hauled offsite, See Sheet CS100 for limits of soil/rock stockpile area.

15 Please confirm all paving and building work can be performed during normal business hours.

Admin and PIC work to occur outside visitor hours. Contractor to provide schedule which meet contract and specification requirements.

The geotechnical report references surcharging fills more than 10’. Please further clarify / confirm this requirement.

Confirmed, follow Geotech recommendations.

The Custom Digitized Sign w/ LED Display requires 120v power and CAT 6 connection, please provide a site electric plan & details for these feeds.

See specification 10 14 00 for ethernet and electric requirements.Routing and connection to be proposed by contractor, there is an electric line adjacent to sign and pull box at intersection.

18 01 45 33 Please confirm all special inspections listed under specification section 01 45 33 are carried by the Owner or Design Professional in Charge.

Confirmed

Section 5.3 of the Geotechnical Report states that foundation excavations cannot be exposed overnight, in the event the excavation is exposed overnight, a 1-3” thick mud mat should be place prior to placing reinforcing steel. Are there any alternate methods of protecting the subgrade that would be considered?

Foundations to be constructed per plans and specifications (including Geotech recommendations).

20 BK201

Sheet BK201 references detail “F1/SB100” for the Segmental Retaining Wall. This detail does not exist, please provide.

Detail located on SB101, Detail E1

21 BK201

Sheet BK201 states “the (segmental retaining) walls components, excavations, and drainage shall be designed by a professional engineer registered in that state of Georgia”. Please provide additional information, or at a minimum, a Basis of Design for this wall/component.

Wall shall match existing on site walls, see Atlanta Area National Cemetery Construction Documents Dated 1/21/2014 for additional information

22 BK201

Sheet BK201 references detail “2/CI521” for the wrought iron guardrail fence. Please provide this detail.

Detail found on CI523, Detail 4. Fence will be aluminum.

A new Irrigation controller is to be installed on this project, please provide a site electrical plan and details showing the electrical connection point for this controller.

See specification 32 84 00 for controller electric information.

Where irrigation lines/sleeves cross existing roads, please provide a detail for open trenching across existing cemetery roadways.

Contractor responsible for trenching or directional boring execution. See irrigation spec for additional information.

25 CS2001 – Note #2 Note #2 on sheet CS001 states “Refer to Atlanta Area National Cemetery Construction Documents Dated 1/21/2014 for information on existing wall construction”. Please provide these plans.

See question #5.

26 CI520 - Detail 1 Detail 1/CI520 shows a 4” HDPE Drainage Pipe at the Flower Watering Stations Sump Pits “Connecting to the Drainage System or Daylighting”. Please confirm this pipe is solid HDPE not perforated.

Confirmed

27 CI-701

According to Sheet CI-701 a full-size columbarium mockup is required, in place mockups are not allowed, please confirm the extent of this mock up is identified in the clouded area in detail 1/CI701 – “Double Sided Columbarium Wall Elevation”.

Clouded area is minimum area for mockup. Mockup to meet all requirements of specifications and plans.

28 CI701 /Note #20 Please clarify the locations/extent of the Silicone Rubber Penetration Waterproofing Sealer from Note #20/CI-701.

Everything except niche covers.

29 CI-701, Note #11 Note #11/CI-701 states all exposed concrete is to be ground smooth and receive a waterproof coating, does this include the back side of the single sided Columbaria Niche Walls?

Yes

Please confirm a concrete “Thickened Edge” is not required at the sidewalks in front of the columbarium.

Thickened edge to be provided per details on DT504.

Please confirm all expansion joints and saw cut contraction joints in concrete paving and curbing are to receive joint sealant.

Confirmed, construct per plans and specs.

32 B.1 Price / Cost Schedule For B.1 Price/Cost Schedule – where is the Contractor to account for crypt material and supply (delivery, offload, and storage)

See Attached Updated Schedule

33 ECS Geotechnical Report Dated 01/25/22

There are no borings shown near any of the existing burial sections that are to be re-constructed. It is beneficial to know what the existing material is composed of. Please provide the Phase I As-builts along with the Phase I Plan Set that provides the “Burial Section Detail Plan Sheets”.

See question #5.

34 CT100, RE/COR Field Office

During the site visit, the area designated on Plan Sheet CT100 appears to have an earthen berm approximately where the RE/COR Field Office and Yard is to be constructed. Please confirm the make-up of this material. Additionally, the plans leave out details on actual size of this area.

More detailed information is needed to put a cost to this. The specifications do not provide clear, detailed information as it pertains to the actual construction of this area either.

Specs include standard VA requirements, including 2" gravel surface for up to 3 parking spaces and utility information. This area should be similar to the existing Outsourced Contractor Yard, which is graphically shown on Sheet CT100

35 CS100, Access to Work Areas

Based on Plan Sheet CS100 there is only one way for suppliers and contractors to access their work areas which is located at Mt. Carmel Church Lane. As such, deliveries of equipment and material will be quite heavy that will need to traverse the existing bridge. Please provide the Load Bearing Capacity of the existing bridge (they should also provide a pile driving log that provides additional information as it relates to capacity).

See structure load rating report dated 9/12/2021.

36 CS100, Access to Work Areas

Based on Plan Sheet CS100 there is only one way for suppliers and contractors to access their work areas which is located at Mt. Carmel Church Lane. The contractor is expected to traverse the site with rather heavy loads of equipment & material. Please confirm what areas of the existing cemetery have “Heavy Asphalt/Heavy Concrete”.

The existing roadways that do not have “Heavy Asphalt/Heavy Concrete” designations are anticipated to be damaged. If this is the case, please provide clear direction if full depth removal will be required or a milling & overlay is acceptable. If the latter is acceptable, please provide an acceptable depth to perform this work.

All damage occurring from construction activities are to repaired to preexisting condition.

The complexity of the existing soils/strata of the material that is to be excavated and placed should warrant issuance of CAD Files. On other similar complex projects that bid recently, i.e. Ft.

Logan National Cemetery in Colorado, CAD Files were provide for all potential bidders. Will the VA consider assisting the contractor with issuance of the CAD Files? If not, please provide reasoning why CAD Files are not going to be issued.

CAD files have been made available in Amendment 8 dated 10/11/2022.

Will the VA/NCA allow for Final Acceptance as each individual Burial Section is completed as opposed to waiting to accept the Burial Sections at the Final Inspection? These sections will have all irrigation functioning, sod placed and established prior to requesting acceptance.

NCA will consider beneficial occupancy and acceptance on a case by case basis.

Once work at the Columbarium Sections is complete, will the VA/NCA allow these areas to be turned over as opposed to waiting for Final Acceptance?

NCA will consider beneficial occupancy and acceptance on a case by case basis.

Plan Sheet CT100 states that the Flag Assembly area will show “no evidence of construction should be visible during March, May or December.” Please define in more detail and clearly what will not be allowed and what can be left at or close to this area.

No evidence of construction is allowed in this area during the months referenced. Contractors should phase all work so all construction in this area occurs outside months referenced (major holidays for cemetery).

41 Is it permissible to place general fill on top of the crypts in-lieu of sand? No. Crypts to be installed per plans and specifications.

The As-builts, plans, Pile Driving Log/Load Capacity for the Existing Bridge from Phase I and the Phase II CAD Files have not been provided to potential bidders. The RFI deadline is October 3, 2022, and there is a fair number of unknown items that can be clarified with the aforementioned documents. As such, we respectfully request an extension of the proposed bid date.

The RFP due date is extended to 27 October

The contract duration is listed at 548 Calendar Days. In terms of complexity of excavation scope, coordination with the cemetery staff as it relates to Blasting and Application of Da-Mite, traversing the existing cemetery, shut down periods during services and the restrictions applied to the access areas, we feel that the 548 Calendar Days duration may not be sufficient to construct the project.

Material is still being impacted from a supply chain standpoint and items such as aggregate and PVC have rather long lead times. Has the VA/NCA taken this into account when determining overall duration?

The NCA is aware of ongoing suply chain issues and has considered this in determinging the 548 POP.

CT100, RE/COR Field Office

01 00 02

Specification 01 00 02, Item 1.17, subsection A states that the “Contractor shall, within fifteen

(15) days after receipt of Notice To Proceed, provide…a temporary field office…”. Based on the lack of detail as it relates to the existing soil conditions in this area and clear direction as to actual size of area to be utilized, we feel that the 15 days to complete this work is not reasonable. Will the VA/REO Personnel reconsider this deadline once NTP is issued? If you consider, the aforementioned items above and the current market conditions as it pertains to labor & material, we feel this is a reasonable request.

The NCA will consider a change to this deadline, after NTP, with sufficent information submitted by successful biddeer justifying an extension.

45 CD101-CD103, CD400

Please provide actual size of existing irrigation lines that are to be removed. During the site visit it could not be determined what the actual size of these lines are. As-builts from Phase I should provide this information.

See question #5.

Please confirm the general fill over top of the crypts should be imported material and the onsite soil is not suitable to be used in this application.

Onsite fill shall may be used if it meets specifications and is approved by RE/COR. Contractor shall assume material is imported as a change order will not be approved.

The specs call for a Microsoft Project Schedule Gantt Chart.

Once awarded, the contractor doesn't have to cost load the schedule, but shall provide a separate Schedule of Costs on AIA document G703. The Schedule of Costs shall reflect and contain all the same activities/events identified in the Gantt Chart.

That all sounds good, except once an activity is added or deleted from the schedule, the Schedule of Costs will no longer match up with the schedule as Microsoft Project renumbers the activity ID's. This is a major flaw of MSP.

Can we submit a Primavera P6 schedule in lieu of an MSP schedule.

Yes.

Amendment # 9 36C78622R0020 | Georgia NC; Expansion Ph 2 Construction 922CM3006 Issued Date 10/18/2022

Question No. Question ResponseReference (Sect/Para/Page)

Sheet1