Pre-Proposal Inquiries (22R00033).pdf

Amendment of Solicitation Amendment A00004 under Solicitation 75H701-23-R-00033 Project PH21WR01H8, WR Boiler Replacement

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

DIVISION OF ENGINEERING

SERVICE

PRE-PROPOSAL INQUIRIES

Solicitation 75H701-23-R-00033

PROJECT: WR Boiler Replacement LOCATION: Whiteriver, AZ

PROJECT NO: PH21WR01H8

DOCUMENT

OWNER: Kelly Britton PHONE: 602-364-5081 DOCUMENTS:

DATE: 6/9/2023 DEPARTMENT: IHS/PAO/DFE

Item No.

Reference Drawing, Spec, Page COMMENTS POC IHS Approved Response

Amendment A00002 dated 05/22/2023

1. Is it possible to get a 2 week extension? Britton Amendment A00002 issued May 22, 2023 extending the proposal due date from June 2, 2023 to June 16, 2023, at 2:00 PM MST.

Amendment A00003 dated 06/06/2023

2. Who is the current HVAC controls contractor for the boilers at WRH? Melton Automated Logic

3. What controls system is currently being used on the existing boilers? Melton See Question #2 above.

4. Who currently does the control work in this facility? Melton See Question #2 above.

5. The drawings state to integrate the controls into the existing building controls. Who is the current control vendor? Melton See Question #2 above.

6. TERO Is this going to be a TERO project? Britton

This is an IHS construction project located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Please reference Clause H.1 TRIBE REQUIREMENTS - WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE and L.9. TRIBAL

BUSINESS AND LABOR REQUIREMENTS.

The TERO contact is Gary Hill.

7. Permits The RFP states that we have to apply and include all permits.

Does this site require a permit, or are they their own jurisdiction?

The site does not require an IHS permit.

Project PH21WR01H8, WR Boiler Replacement

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

DIVISION OF ENGINEERING

SERVICE

PRE-PROPOSAL INQUIRIES

Solicitation 75H701-23-R-00033

PROJECT: WR Boiler Replacement LOCATION: Whiteriver, AZ

PROJECT NO: PH21WR01H8

DOCUMENT

OWNER: Kelly Britton PHONE: 602-364-5081 DOCUMENTS:

DATE: 6/9/2023 DEPARTMENT: IHS/PAO/DFE

Item No.

Reference

Amendment A00004 dated 06/09/2023

8.

This project includes providing a new fuel oil day tank. I am assuming that the initial fill will come from the bulk tank located outside and that we won’t need to provide the additional 100-gallons of fuel oil to fill the day tank. Is that correct?

Melton Correct. The fuel oil for the new fuel oil day tank will be provided from the existing bulk fuel oil tanks.

9. Ambulance Area

I just want to make sure that the drive located outside of the boiler room can be shut down for extended periods of time while we move equipment in and out?

Melton The ambulance bay drive located outside of the boiler room can be shut down during boiler change outs and will be coordinated during construction.

10. Ambulance Area

The Emergency Room traffic may be impacted for a period of 2 days for the removal and replacement of equipment. Please confirm this is acceptable

Melton Blocking of the ambulance traffic is required to change out the boilers. Ambulance will be re-routed during this timeframe.

11. Asbestos Has the hospital had any asbestos testing done on the insulation within the scope of work? And if so, was any identified?

Melton

A limited asbestos survey was recently performed and found no asbestos containing materials.

See attached Attachment J01d WR Pipe Insulation Limited Asbestos, dated May 28, 2023, 13 pages

12. Asbestos Will IHS be providing the asbestos abatement directly, or will it be under the contractors scope of work? Melton See Question #11 above.

13. Asbestos

There appears to be asbestos on the project that will need to be remediated for the work to be completed. Will this be handled by the hospital directly or should it be included in the bid?

Melton See Question #11 above.

Project PH21WR01H8, WR Boiler Replacement

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

DIVISION OF ENGINEERING

SERVICE

PRE-PROPOSAL INQUIRIES

Solicitation 75H701-23-R-00033

PROJECT: WR Boiler Replacement LOCATION: Whiteriver, AZ

PROJECT NO: PH21WR01H8

DOCUMENT

OWNER: Kelly Britton PHONE: 602-364-5081 DOCUMENTS:

DATE: 6/9/2023 DEPARTMENT: IHS/PAO/DFE

Item No.

Reference

14. Is there any equipment that the hospital will want to retain once it is removed from the space? Melton No equipment will be retained by IHS.

15.

There is an expansion tank directly above the doorway to the mechanical room. This tank will no longer be needed for the new system. Is this to be removed as well?

Melton/

AESUS

Yes, remove all items no longer piped/connected to the new system. As shown on construction document, a new Expansion Tank is provided.

16.

Only fuel is #2 oil. Condensing boilers require a minimum return temperature of 140°F when firing on oil. The schedule shows a return temp. of 120°F. Based on the 120°F return temp we cannot use the condensing boiler for the application if the only #2 fuel oil is available For gas/oil applications the return temp can be much lower when firing on gas, but when firing on oil the return would need to be 140°F. Would we require a mixing valve for the return water and temper the water for a condensing boiler to operate efficiently ?

Melton/ AESUS See Question #17 below.

Project PH21WR01H8, WR Boiler Replacement

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

DIVISION OF ENGINEERING

SERVICE

PRE-PROPOSAL INQUIRIES

Solicitation 75H701-23-R-00033

PROJECT: WR Boiler Replacement LOCATION: Whiteriver, AZ

PROJECT NO: PH21WR01H8

DOCUMENT

OWNER: Kelly Britton PHONE: 602-364-5081 DOCUMENTS:

DATE: 6/9/2023 DEPARTMENT: IHS/PAO/DFE

Item No.

Reference

17.

The following requires clarification/response from the project design engineer. There is a disparity between the boiler design requirements found on the equipment schedules, and how these specified boiler products can be safely operated according to current industry/code standards pertaining to boiler technology.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND FOR THIS RFI

The boiler equipment schedules contained in the project plans indicate that the operating efficiency rating of the new boilers must be a minimum of 92% in order to meet the project requirements. This means the boiler must absolutely be a condensing type boiler, designed to operate with return water temperatures at or below 120F. The low return water temps cause the boiler exhaust gas temperature to drop significantly, reaching the dewpoint inside the combustion chamber and in the exhaust stack itself. This generates a significant amount of “condensate” which mixes with the byproducts of combustion yielding a highly acidic liquid that must be properly trapped, and neutralized before draining to a floor sink. As a current industry standard, ALL boilers designed and manufactured as CONDENSING boilers operate exclusively on either Natural Gas or Propane, or a dual fuel option of NG primary fuel source, with LPG secondary fuel source.

This is in conflict with the equipment schedules which indicate the new boilers must fire exclusively on #2 diesel oil. This is

AESUS

The AE expressed the same concerns with several of the boiler manufacturers during design. The list of manufacturers was narrowed down to Fulton and Riello, both of whom expressed that their boilers were designed with appropriate materials such that they could operate in condensing mode with ULS #2 fuel oil (as primary) at 92% efficiency with the 140/120-deg operating temperatures.

These manufacturers have also provided example projects (where ULS #2 fuel oil was primary) and recommendations on condensate disposal. The manufacturers also detailed the ongoing maintenance requirements where #2 fuel oil is primary.

As shown on the Construction Documents:

1. The boiler must operate at 92% efficiency with the operating temperatures indicated.

2. The manufacturer’s recommended acid neutralization kit must be provided.

3. Similar to what was detailed above, the chosen manufacturer must certify and warranty operation with ULS #2 fuel oil as primary. We also ask that they provide a list of example projects where this was performed.

Project PH21WR01H8, WR Boiler Replacement

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

DIVISION OF ENGINEERING

SERVICE

PRE-PROPOSAL INQUIRIES

Solicitation 75H701-23-R-00033

PROJECT: WR Boiler Replacement LOCATION: Whiteriver, AZ

PROJECT NO: PH21WR01H8

DOCUMENT

OWNER: Kelly Britton PHONE: 602-364-5081 DOCUMENTS:

DATE: 6/9/2023 DEPARTMENT: IHS/PAO/DFE

Item No.

Reference not possible with a condensing boiler that is designed to operate with 120F inlet water temperature, as the equipment schedules indicate. The reason being, is that the byproducts of combustion for #2 fuel oil when mixed with condensation in the flue gas creates a highly toxic substance known as sulfuric acid. There is currently no available means or methods in the industry for managing, collecting, or disposing of sulfuric acid to a floor sink or drain. It is not allowable by code, and is a highly dangerous substance. For this reason, all boiler manufacturers have standardized on Natural Gas and LPG gas options only for high efficiency boilers of this type.

There are a couple of boiler manufacturers that make a condensing boiler pressure vessel, and pair it with a burner that is capable of firing on #2 diesel oil. We do represent such a manufacturer. However the manufacturer’s OM documents warn the operator that the boiler setpoint temperature must be maintained at 180F while operating on #2 diesel oil, in order to eliminate the possibility of creating condensation inside the boiler. This reduces the boiler operating efficiency to approximately 80-85% (similar to any non-condensing boiler), and thereby would completely void the desired “Condensing Efficiency” of 92% or higher. In general, these types of boilers are intended for the #2 oil to be a backup/reserve fuel only so that the run time on the diesel oil would only be for emergency use. Under these circumstances, the primary operating fuel source would still need to be NG or LPG.

Project PH21WR01H8, WR Boiler Replacement

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

DIVISION OF ENGINEERING

SERVICE

PRE-PROPOSAL INQUIRIES

Solicitation 75H701-23-R-00033

PROJECT: WR Boiler Replacement LOCATION: Whiteriver, AZ

PROJECT NO: PH21WR01H8

DOCUMENT

OWNER: Kelly Britton PHONE: 602-364-5081 DOCUMENTS:

DATE: 6/9/2023 DEPARTMENT: IHS/PAO/DFE

Item No.

Reference

FORMAL RFI

Based on the above technical background information, please provide whether the priority for this boiler project is meeting the minimum efficiency standard of 92%, or if meeting the #2 fuel oil requirement takes precedence. If a 92% efficiency minimum is the priority, we formally request to be able to submit a bid for condensing boiler equipment that operates on LPG propane gas as the fuel source. This will allow the operator to safely run the boiler equipment as designed with 120F inlet temp and 140F outlet temp, while meeting the minimum efficiency standard.

If meeting the #2 fuel oil requirement takes precedence, and there is no other fuel option under consideration, then the boiler design requirement must certainly be modified to maintain an outlet temperature of 180F, and the minimum efficiency standard for the equipment must be reduced to non-condensing efficiencies of 80-85%.