S05_RFIs and Answers Tallahassee NC Shrine_Irrigation.pdf

Solicitation: 36C78626B0013

Project: Tallahassee National Cemetery National Shrine Irrigation Project

RFI- Contractor Questions & Government Responses

1. Bid Documents provided through Solicitation # 36C78626B0013 included an "Irrigation System Assessment - Tallahassee National Cemetery" by Irrigation Management Consulting (I.M.C.), dated May 24, 2023. Pages 5-14 of the document include as-built conditions drawings with multiple hand-written references/notes on Phase 1, 1A and 1B drawing sheets. The information on the marked-up pages are neither clear nor legible on the drawing sheets. Can the Government please provide legible & accurate drawings for review. Original irrigations plans are to provided in addition to solicitation

2. Please provide an eligible/complete set of contract documents to be used for pricing. All solicitation documents have been provided on sam.gov.

3. Please provide a list and/or marked-up drawings indicating all modifications made to the existing system since the last as-built set was completed. The original drawing for Tallahassee Irrigation system will be/have been provided.

4. Will the entire system need to be replaced or only certain areas? Please reference SOW as specified.

5. Please provide a list of all certifications, licenses, and qualifications required to perform the work in the

State of Florida. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW

6. Please clarify whether the Contract requires full replacement of the existing 2-wire path infrastructure throughout the cemetery or only replacement of failed segments and components identified during assessment, troubleshooting, and testing activities. Please reference SOW as specified.

7. Please identify which existing controller is considered the “new section controller” excluded from replacement under the Contract Documents. Expansion section is excluded from scope of work of this project and are not shown on drawings. Section will be identified at time of award.

8. Please provide the required quantities, sizes, and locations of electric control valves, mainline valves, and manual isolation valves required for replacement where exact quantities and locations are not identified within the Contract Documents. Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

9. Please provide the required quantities and location breakdowns for sprinkler head replacements by type and model where replacement quantities and limits are not clearly defined within the Contract Documents.

Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings. Please reference SOW.

Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

10. Please clarify the required grounding resistance threshold in ohms required for final system acceptance and clarify whether additional grounding improvements required to achieve acceptable test results are included within the Contractor’s base scope. Please reference SOW. Final determination shall be per manufacturers recommendations.

11. Please clarify the definition of a system “fault” requiring restart of the 14-day acceptance testing period, including whether communication alarms, temporary signal interruptions, or non-critical warnings reset the acceptance testing period. Any and all disruptions with irrigation system operations incurred during operations testing for a concurrent 14 day period. Any pump system failure occurrence not related to field operations shall be omitted

12. Please clarify what constitutes a “completed” burial section for purposes of progressing work into additional burial sections under the sequencing requirements identified in the Contract Documents. Please reference SOW

13. Please clarify the exact limits of excluded expansion area work and identify all required irrigation, communication, power wire, and 2-wire tie-in responsibilities required between the base project work and excluded expansion areas. Please reference SOW as specified.

14. The currently provided drawing documents appear to be image-based photographs or scans of drawings and become illegible when zooming into irrigation layouts, notes, station callouts, pipe routing, and utility information necessary for accurate bidding and coordination. Please provide legible high-resolution digital drawings or native plan files that allow sufficient zoom capability to clearly identify irrigation components, station information, tie-in locations, dimensions, and scope boundaries required for proper bidding and execution of the work. The original drawing for Tallahassee Irrigation system will be provided.

15. Please clarify the Contractor’s responsibility for continued operation, performance, troubleshooting, and warranty obligations associated with existing irrigation system components that remain in service but are not removed or replaced under this Contract, including whether the Contractor will be held responsible for operational deficiencies or failures associated with existing components outside the repaired or replaced portions of the system. Contractor shall be responsible for a fully operational irrigation system upon the completion of this project. Please reference the SOW

16. Please clarify whether the Contract permits a single individual employed by the Prime Contractor to simultaneously serve in multiple required management and oversight roles for this project, including Quality Control Manager (QCM), Superintendent, Site Safety and Health Officer (SSHO), and Project Manager, provided the individual meets all qualification requirements identified within the Contract Documents for each respective position. Project Manager and QCM can be dual hatted by same person if qualified. Superintendent and SSHO can be dual hatted by one person if qualified.

17. The Statement of Work identifies approximate repair and replacement quantities of approximately +/- 200 linear feet of mainline piping and approximately +/- 2,500 linear feet of lateral piping. Please clarify whether pipe repair and replacement quantities exceeding these estimated amounts, if required to restore the irrigation system to fully functional operational status, will be addressed through a contract modification/change order process or if the Contractor is expected to absorb all additional quantities necessary to achieve final system functionality regardless of the estimated quantities identified within the Contract Documents. Means and Methods shall be determined by contractor of award. Contractor shall bid contract based on professional determination.

18. The Contract Documents state that Celebration Bermuda sod is to be installed at irrigation repair locations and disturbed areas, while also stating that re-establishment of existing turf is preferred where feasible.

Please clarify the criteria and approval authority for determining when existing turf re-establishment is acceptable versus when new Celebration Bermuda sod replacement is required, and clarify whether the Contractor should base its bid on full replacement using new Celebration Bermuda sod for all disturbed areas. Existing Turf is preferred for re-establishment; however Celebration Bermuda must be viable and be reestablished. Contractors will make that determination based on their own means and method.

19. The Contract Documents reference providing a “Rain Bird Central Irrigation laptop computer control with newest update program” and also reference providing Site-Control IQ4 software for central control operation. Please clarify whether the Contractor is required to furnish new laptop computer hardware as part of the Contract scope or whether the requirement is limited to installation, configuration, and updating of IQ4 software on existing Government-furnished hardware. Yes, Please reference SOW

20. The Contract Documents state that the existing irrigation pumping station is operational and available for use; however, the documents also state that if adequate irrigation water is unavailable, the Contractor shall obtain alternative water sources, including water trucks if necessary. Please clarify responsibility for costs associated with temporary water supply measures in the event of Government-owned pump station failure, inadequate water supply, or pumping system malfunction during construction activities or during the required 14-day acceptance testing period, including whether such conditions would be addressed through a contract modification/change order process.

As specified, In coordination with, Cemetery will provide water and ensure pump system are fully operational prior to 14-day no fault testing.

21. Provide the site visit sign in sheet. Provided

22. Clarify what the 811 Utility typically locates and what they do not. We are anticipating hiring a subcontractor that locates what they do not to miniimize risk.

This shall be determined by contractors. This is the means and methods of determination of contractor.

23. Provide a zone by zone layout or list of devices. Layout is preferred. Can local staff show where known issues are on them?

Unknown, The original drawing for Tallahassee Irrigation system will be provided.

24. Repairs are unknown in quantity please clarify whether full system replacement is required, or if targeted repairs to restore functionality are acceptable? This could provide big savings.

Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

25. Can existing, functional irrigation components (valves, piping, sprinkler heads, wiring) be reused? Big savings.

Unknown, Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

26. Are all irrigation controllers required to be replaced, or only those that are non-functional? SavingsPlease reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

27. The SOW requires work in one burial section at a time. Can multiple sections be worked concurrently with approval? Big savings.

Yes, if there are no safety concerns, interruptions to visitors, or interruptions to cemetery operations. Cooridination with Cemetery and COR approval would be required

28. Are extended work hours or weekend work permitted to accelerate schedule? Savings Only when approved by Cemetery leadership. COR or COR alternate must be on property during active operations of project work.

29. Can the Government clarify the number of irrigation audits required and whether sampling of representative zones is acceptable? 1 Audit, Please reference SOW

30. Are as-built drawings of the existing irrigation system available? Savings .The original drawing for Tallahassee Irrigation system will be provided.

31. Add extra time for proposal preparation following RFI responses. See amendments to solicitation for any extension to bid due date.

32. Would the VA like to have attic stock for any of the devices? No

33. Reports and photos of installation would be very helpful if available please provide? Unavailable

34. The as-builts provided are difficult to read. May we request a clean version? The original drawing for Tallahassee

35. Need readable as built The original drawing for Tallahassee Irrigation system will be provided.

36. What’s been changed since the as built was done? No

37. It’s a little open ended and we aren’t sure if everything needs to be rebuilt. How many heads are on each zone?

38. Need an extension of the RFI. See RFI 31

39. Is the irrigation certification required? No license required in FL. Not if not required by state Are you requiring everything to be replaced or can we provide recommendation that we don’t think it’s necessary?

40. Are we able to run through the irrigation zone by zone to check for the issues?

Yes, Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

41. Does every valve need to be replaced or just the non-functioning valves? Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

Can a group of valves in the same manifold share a single gate valve or does each valve need to have its own gate valve?

No. Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

42. Scope of 2-Wire System Does ALL of the 2-wire need to be replaced or just the damaged sections? Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawing

43. Scope of Head Replacement

Does every irrigation head need to be replaced or just the non-operational heads? Please reference SOW.

Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

o Are all of the heads stainless steel? Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

What are the quantities of 700 Series, 8005, and 5000 heads? Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

When we were on-site we noticed 900 and 950 golf rotors. The spec list only included 700 Series, 8005, and 5000.

Do we need to replace the 900 and 950 or swap them to 700 series, 8005, or 5000? Please reference SOW.

Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

44. Scope of Valves Does every valve need to be replaced or just the non-functioning valves?

Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

o Can a group of valves in the same manifold share a single gate valve or does each valve need to have its own gate valve?

Yes, Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

45. Control Package/IQ4 o Does the new control package need to be cellular? Only as required by manufacturer o Confirming the government has/maintains the current IQ4 subscription and is not incumbent on the contractor, and will give contractor access (Admin when needed) to IQ4, and limit government access that would affect ongoing work? No current subscriptions

46. Pump Station o What is the manufacturer? Not in scope of project o What is GPM? (Gallons Per Minute) Not in scope of project o When was the last time it was serviced? Not in scope of project o Is there existing pump curve data or flow capacity reports? Not in scope of project

47. Main Line and Zone Lines o Are there any current leaks or breaks and if so where are they located? Please reference SOW.

Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

o

48. The drawings received were faded and hard to discern. Requesting updated drawings if available. The original drawing for Tallahassee Irrigation system will be provided.

49. When on-site we were not allowed to access controllers. We would like to request access to the controllers. Second site visit scheduled for 5/13

50. Since the project already includes replacing controllers, valves, and wiring, would the VA be open to upgrading portions of the system to IVM solenoid technology instead of standard decoders? This could improve reliability, troubleshooting, and long-term maintenance. Please advise if this is an acceptable alternative or if we should bid strictly per the current specification/ if open to submitting price with recommended components if that would be considered?

51. Is there a specific area/ restrictions for contractor to stage/ have a laydown area? Yes, Cemetery will provide area.

Saftey shall be addressed at all times.

52. What is the protocol if there are water supply issues (Pump down, etc) prohibiting work in progress or inspections?

Is this a delay contractor reports as downtime/ will extended timelines be considered for the contractor’s schedule/PoP? These will be handled in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

53. Can the government clarify if it would like the contractor to inspect every component and repair it if it isn’t working or replace it if it can’t be fixed. Or is it the governments intent for the contractor to replace every system component besides piping? Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

54. Can the government please provide an updated plan set that is legible? The original drawing for Tallahassee

55. In the S02 Attachment - Brand Name JA Rainbird Document is lists Eagle 732. That is not a real item. Could this mean 700 series or 750- series? In the field we found the 950 series rain bird heads. Can the government please clarify on these valve in head components? In valve heads shall be Rainbird Eagle 732 or newest version on this by manufacturer.

56. On any replacement of valves, should we plan to reuse the valve boxes, gravel, lids. Or any other components?

57. Can the government please provide a count of how many rainbird 5000, and 8000 series heads are currently in use?

58. The scope calls out Approx quantities of pipe needed. Does the government want us to give unit value? Please reference SOW. Contractor shall be required to provide as specified in SOW and drawings.

59. Is plowing the wire or pipe in allowed? Yes, however turf must be re-established as specified.

60. Can the government please confirm/clarify regarding what specific type of pipe is currently in the ground? HDPE or PVC? Unknown

61. Once plans are provided, we may have more RFI’s. Will the government consider an extension on the due date and allow for a second round of RFIs due to the release of legible plans? The original drawing for Tallahassee Irrigation system will be provided. The RFI due date has been extended to 5/19/2026 at 10:00am EDT