QnA_4.22.19.pdf

Questions and Answers during Advertisement for WY TIG US212(9) Beartooth Highway

April 22, 2019

Questions Answers

1 Plan sheets H15 and H16 call out 18” max vertical spacing between reinforcements. Will CFL accept 24” lifts for the MSE wall on the referenced project?

The preliminary design is based on the GRS concept presented in FHWA‐ HRT‐17‐080 “Design and Construction Guideline for Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Abutments and Integrated Bridge Systems”, which employs closer reinforcement spacing than is typical for MSE walls. The spacing depicted on sheets H15 and H16 is 225 mm (9‐inch) to meet the GRS requirements. A spacing of 205 mm (8‐inch or 3 reinforcements per basket) will likely be suitable. The contractor should evaluate the internal stability for this spacing and submit with the shop drawings in accordance with Section 257.

Added 4/12/2019 – Will CFL accept 24” lifts for the MSE wall on the referenced project? YES, 24” baskets are acceptable for use on the project

2 Plan sheets H15 and H16 call out reinforcements as geogrid or geotextile. With the ‘Contractor‐Designed Retaining Walls’ section included in the spec, will CFL accept inextensible, steel soil reinforcements per 720.01(h) for the MSE wall on this project?

The GRS concept is based on the use of extensible reinforcements to form a composite material. Metallic reinforcements have not been studied for this application, and therefore, are excluded from this application.

Added for clarification 4/12/2019 – NO, metallic reinforcements are not permitted.

3 Plan sheet H15 notes a 62% base to height ratio for the reinforcement lengths. We typically don’t supply anything less than 70% B/H, per AASHTO design standards. Is the 62% base to height ratio for the MSE wall on this project correct?

The GRS design methodology does not require the typical 70% minimum base width. The minimum base width provided in the plans is based on preliminary external analysis. Per subsection 257.04(k), the contractor provides final design analysis of the walls, including minimum reinforcement lengths. We recommend that the contractor review the GRS guidelines referenced previously prior to developing their design.

Contractor analysis may determine that additional reinforcement lengths are required. If this is the case, additional shoring may also be required, and should be discussed between the contractor and appropriate sub‐ contractors.

4 Will stay in place deck forms such as steel pan decking be allowed for forming the bridge deck going over beartooth ravine?

No, cast in‐place deck forms such as steel pan decking is not allowed for deck forming on the Beartooth Ravine bridge.

5 Plan sheet G3 foundation plan indicates “anticipated limits of disturbance” at Beartooth Ravine Bridge. Are these limits “anticipated limits”, or are they “hard” limits of disturbance? Will contractors be allowed to propose alternate access/shoring plans that would potentially encroach beyond these limits?

The limits are “Anticipated Limits of Disturbance.” Contractor will be allowed to propose alternate access/shoring plans that would potentially encroach beyond these limits but will have to restore areas used at the completion of the project.

6 Will it be acceptable to blend recycled asphalt with our processed aggregated to make the aggregate base course for the project?

The contractor should place a bid per the bid items shown in the contract documents. Once the contract is in place the contractor may submit a value engineering proposal to CFL Project Engineer for evaluation and consideration. If the value engineering proposal is accepted a contract modification will be written to adopt the modification into the contract.

For pay Item 20811-0000 Shoring and Bracing is the pay quantity for the exposed face or does that included embedded face?

The shoring quantity is based on exposed face. The shoring that is buried is a variable since it depends on what shoring type system proposed by the contractor to use on the project.

8 Can we close 1 lane during the day on US212 for 30 minutes to offload girders from trucks during the Beartooth Ravine Bridge erection? Otherwise per 108.01 the bridge erection must occur at night.

Yes, one lane will be shut down for 30 minutes to offload girders or the bridge erection can also occur at night.

9 Would it be allowable to burn all clearing and grubbing material not needed for landscape logs in the Ghost Creek Pit area?

No, burning is allowed in the Ghost Creek pit without a fire permit form the Forest Service. Contractor must also follow specification section

107.11 Protection of Forest, Parks and Public Lands and Appendix E Special Use permit.

10 Is the excavation for construction of the MSE wall included in the excavation quantity for Item 20401-0000?

Is the quantity of select backfill needed to build the MSE wall included in the excavation quantity as embankment?

Wall excavation is included in the 20401-0000, Roadway Excavation pay item not in the MSE wall bid item. See specification section 204 Excavation and Embankment and 255 Mechanically-Stabilized Earth Walls for more information. The select backfill is not included in the earthwork summary, see Note 3 Sheet B16.

11 Specification Page A-7. What is the significance of the listed “Contract Quantity Pay Items” listed on the top of the page, as these are not the only unit priced items in Schedule A?

Refer to FP-03 Section 109.02 (a)

12 Please verify the location and address for bid submission. Refer to Sheet A-1, Box 8 on the SF 1442

13 Please identify the documents required in the bid submission package. There are many areas in the solicitation that have questions for the contractor to answer, for instance, Page C-7 under paragraph (g) there is a question on small business. Are these questions in the solicitation to be answered and submitted with the package?

Refer to Sheet A-i in the Invitation for Bid – complete all items listed in the bullets.

14 Page A-iii, paragraph (i), states that for a HUBZone SBC receiving this contract with the 10% discount must: “At least 15% of the cost of contract performance to be incurred for personnel will be spend on the prime contractor’s employees”. Page C-16, Section 52.236-1 states “Contractor shall perform on the site, and with its own organization, work equivalent to at least sixty percent 60% of the total amount of work to be performed under the contract”. For a HUBZone SBC to qualify for the bid discount, please confirm FAR 52.236-1 is required. If so, how will FHWA validate this at bid time in order to equalize the bidding process?

Refer to Sheet A-iii Paragraph 2, FAR Clause 52.236-1 does not apply to a qualified HUBZone SBC.

15 Specification Section 105.05 Material Sources. Section 102.02(a) Government-provided sources identifies Ghost Creek as a material is suitable for production. For bidding purposes, can bidders assume this material meets the specifications suitable for production of 301 and 403 aggregates and verify post-award?

If verification shows the material is unsuitable post-award, verify this will addressed as a Change to the contract?

The material is Ghost Creek pit has met material specification for the past 3 Beartooth projects. See geotechnical reports provided for additional information on the Ghost Creek material source location. Contractor can elect not to use the Ghost Creek Material source for the project also. The Ghost creek material source is available to the contractor to produce material use on the project but is not a directed source that all material used on the project must be produced from this location. If the Ghost Creek material source is not used in the contract the revegetation plan on T7 would still be implemented.

Contractor must make this suitable vs unsuitable determination based on plan, specifications and report provided. Any change to the contract will follow the FHWA CFL contract modification process.

16 Are the materials provided at Ghost Creek free to the contractor? Are there any quantity restrictions on this material? How will the materials used be measured?

All the raw and manufactured material the currently exists in the Ghost Creek pit is available for use on the project only at no additional cost to the contractor. Only required material used in the construction of the project may be removed from the Ghost Creek material source. See project specifications for measurement and payment items to answer how materials will be measured.

Page E-55 of the solicitation, Section 156.05 states “Winter shutdown period is defined between the months of November and April..” As this reads, the winter shutdown are the months of December through March. Section 108.01 states “the construction season is from approximately Memorial Day weekend through October 15…” Please define the winter shutdown dates and the restrictions during these periods? Are contractors not allowed to perform any work during this period?

Contractor is allowed to perform work outside winter Shut down period with the approval on the Project Engineer.

17 Can Central Federal Lands provide copies of the geotechnical reports referenced in the final geotechnical report? Specifically the Wyoming Beartooth Highway, Materials Source Investigation would be helpful for getting a better understanding of the subsurface conditions at the Ghost Creek Pit.

See documents uploaded with this QnA response.