Maxey_WRE_Site_Showing_Notes_8-17-16.pdf

United States Natural Resources Department of Conservation 101 South Main Street Agriculture Service Temple, TX 76501

Subject: Date: August 11, 2016 ADS - Acquisition, Procurement, Contracts Solicitation – AG-4D90-S-16-0035

WRE #5474421401GP2

To: File code:

Chanda Sow Contracting Officer Columbus, Ohio

A site showing was held at the Bonham, Texas USDA Service Center on the subject site on August 11, 2016, at 10:30AM. After the specs and drawings were reviewed, the meeting moved to the physical construction site.

The following information was reviewed with the contractors at the showing, which covered the Construction Specifications, Drawings, and the Site Visit. Please use this information along with the question and answer section for the preparation of needed amendments to this solicitation.

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

Offers are due by 8/26/2016 at 5:30 PM EST (4:30 CST). Offers must be submitted to Ms. Chanda Sow, Contracting Officer; USDA-NRCS; 200 North High Street, Room 522; Columbus, OH 43215-2418. Offers may be submitted via fax as described in Section L.8 of the solicitation. Offers must acknowledge receipt of any/all addenda. Bidding contractors must be registered in SAM (www.sam.gov).

NRCS SUPPLEMENT TO OSHA (SECTION H.2)

1.1: Written safety program, site specific (i.e., snakes, heat exhaustion, etc.).

1.5: Weekly job-site safety meetings are required.

1.7: First aid training, at least one employee on-site at all times with current certificate.

2.3: Communication and transportation, at least one serviceable stretcher and two blankets on-site at all times.

4.1: Hard hat areas, include entire job site except temporary office.

4.3: Hard hat signage, specifications for lettering color, size.

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS

The construction specifications for this project are composed of two parts. The first part is called the closed specification and is the standard NRCS construction specification that begins with the SCOPE and ends with MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT or PAYMENT. The second part is called the open specification and consists of the ITEMS OF WORK AND CONSTRUCTION DETAILS that are written specifically for this job, and that serve to modify/clarify the preceding closed specification as needed.

All of the Construction Specifications are listed in the solicitation package. Not all of the Construction Specifications have a corresponding Bid Item. Some of the bid items have subsidiary items of work, which http://www.sam.gov/

WRE 5474421401GP2, AG-4D90-S-16-0035

Fannin County - 2 -means those items are required to be accomplished but the payment for those items are included under another Construction Specification. For example, Construction Specification 5, Pollution Control, is subsidiary to Construction Specification 8, Mobilization and Demobilization. This means that the amount you bid for Mobilization and Demobilization should include any necessary Pollution Control.

BID ITEMS AND SPECIFICATIONS REVIEWED

NOTE: The contractor shall comply with all of the specifications (construction and material). In the interest of time, not all of the specifications were reviewed at this meeting or in the following notes. The following are several main points taken from the specifications.

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION 5: POLLUTION CONTROL

• Subsidiary item to Bid Item 1: Mobilization & Demobilization.

• Section 8.a.3: Work shall be carried out to minimize equipment operation outside of the structure footprints.

• Section 8.a.5: Each individual site will be completed before going to another site location. Proper job sequencing will aid in pollution control in and around individual sites.

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION 7: CONSTRUCTION SURVEYS

• Subsidiary to Bid Item 1: Mobilization & Demobilization.

• Section 5, Method 2: Contractor to provide surveying as needed to set line and grade for all work, slope staking, final grade staking, and quantity estimates.

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION 8: MOBILIZATION & DEMOBILIZATION

• Bid Item #1 – includes all mobilization & demobilization, pollution control, construction surveys, removal of water, and contractor quality control.

• Section 4A, Item 1: The access point, as marked on the drawings shall be the sole construction access point.

• Section 4A, Item 2: All debris and items resulting from the construction operation shall be removed from the work site and disposed of by the contractor.

• Section 4A, Item 3: All disturbed areas shall be bladed or smoothed to blend in with the surrounding area.

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION 11: REMOVAL OF WATER

• Subsidiary to Bid Item 1: Mobilization & Demobilization

• Section 8.a.2: The Contractor’s plan for dewatering the sites shall be approved prior to the start of construction operations. The plan, at a minimum, shall include the proposed project sequencing to minimize the potential and duration of flooding, and contingency plans (i.e. pumping) to continue work and protect the incomplete structure.

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION 21: EXCAVATION

• Bid Item 2: includes the cubic yardage of excavation and earthfill combined.

• Section 10.a.2: Classification – needed excavation is unclassified.

• Section 10.a.2: The macro shall be constructed as staked in the field and as specified on the drawings.

• Section 10.a.5: The spoil shall be compacted in layered lifts in the areas marked on the drawings or in the field. The maximum uncompacted layer thickness shall be 9”. Compaction shall be obtained by controlled operation of the earth-moving equipment so that the entire surface of each lift or layer is traversed by not less than one tread track of the equipment.

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• Section 10.a.6: Trees, stumps, brush, large rocks, and other debris which will prevent smoothing of the spoil pile shall be removed from the macro and spoil area. The debris shall be disposed of according to state and local regulations.

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION 23: EARTHFILL

• Subsidiary to Bid Item 2: Excavation

• Section 10.a.2: The impoundment shall be constructed as staked in the field, or as specified on the construction drawings. If sand layers are uncovered during borrow area excavation, those areas shall be patched with impervious material to prevent seepage. Sandy material shall not be used to construct the compacted earthfill.

• Section 10.a.3: Topsoil from the footprint of the impoundment shall be stripped and stockpiled on site.

Once construction is complete, topsoil shall be reapplied to promote natural revegetation on the impoundment structure.

• Section 10.a.4 & 6: Each layered lift of the earthfill shall be compacted by controlled operation of the earth-moving equipment and spreading equipment over the fill so that the entire surface is traversed by not less than one tread track of the equipment. The thickness of each uncompacted lift shall not exceed 9” vertically.

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION 94: CONTRACTOR QUALITY CONTROL

• Subsidiary to Bid Item 1 Mobilization & Demobilization

• Section 3: Quality control system: (Method 1) provide written identification and QC personnel and duties within 10 calendar days of Notice of Award.

• Section 4. Quality control personnel: (Method 1) competent, in-house personnel with authority. Written submissions of personnel, labs, etc., required for approval.

• Section 10.a.1: Quality control shall be the sole responsibility of the contractor. The use of such phrases as “as approved by the engineer” does not relieve the contractor of their quality control responsibilities.

DRAWINGS: WRE Project 5474421401GP2

Sheet 2, Note 1: Prior to any ground disturbance, the contractor shall call 811 at least 2 days prior to construction. The issued confirmation number shall be given to the Construction Inspector on the TX-ENG- 80B supplied at the preconstruction meeting.

Sheet 2: Note the easement access point location as labeled. This shall be the sole construction access point.

Sheet 2, Note 2: All construction surveys shall proceed from the temporary benchmarks established by the NRCS in the field.

Sheet 3, Note 1: Spoil pile shapes may vary. Spoil piles shall not exceed 2.5’ above the surrounding natural ground.

Sheet 4, Note 2: The natural spillway shall be set at 525.0’ elevation. The top elevation shall be set at 526.1’ elevation. Upstream and downstream side slopes shall be constructed at 6:1.

Sheet 4, Note 3: To protect the existing grass cover on the natural spillway, vehicle and equipment operation in and around the spillway shall be kept to a minimum.

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GENERAL COMMENTS:

All contractor equipment and personnel must stay within the WRE easement boundary.

CORRECTIONS: A new benchmark nail has been installed at the base of a cedar tree between the 2 planned features on the old hedgerow. The tree is marked with pink survey ribbon. The assigned elevation of the nail head is 525.5’ elevation. The previous benchmark on the drawings is incorrect and shall not be used.

The bottom elevation of the macro was not listed on the drawings. The bottom elevation shall be constructed at 521.5’.

The original bid schedule posted on www.fbo.gov stated that the dirtwork volume (bid item 2) was 3128 cubic yards, which is incorrect. The corrected estimated dirtwork volume is 3428 cubic yards.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q: The construction access off the farm to market road will be dangerous due to the rough ditch and the curve on the farm to market road. May we use the landowner’s access on the southwest corner of the property?

A: Yes, the landowner has given written permission to use his access in order to increase the safety of ingress and egress for the contractor.

Q: What’s the clearance of the metal bar over the entrance to the property?

A: The bar was measured to be approximately 15.5’ from the ground beneath it.

Q: There is a difference of 300 CY between the drawings and the bid schedule. Is this a typo?

A: Yes, the quantity for Bid Item 2 should be 3428 CY. This is a typo and will be fixed in the contract.

Q: Can the same person be the superintendent, the quality control officer, and the safety officer?

A: Yes, the appointed positions may be the same person if that person is qualified in all the appointed positions.

Q: There are fences shown on the drawing, but I don’t see any in the field.

A: The cross fences were standing during the survey, but have recently been removed.

Q: Are the elevations “real-world” elevations?

A: No, the elevations have not been OPUS corrected and therefore are not real-world. The elevations are only tied to the NRCS-installed temporary benchmark as labelled on the drawings.

Q: Will the NRCS give us an AutoCAD surface to upload to our equipment-mounted GPS system to enable us to build the structure?

A: No. Use the elevations on the drawing and the benchmarks installed in the field by NRCS.

Q: Are there moisture content requirements in the specs?

A: Specification 23 Earthfill, Section 10, Item a.5: Control of Moisture Content, the suitability of the in place soil moisture content shall be determined by the engineer using the feel method. Soil determined to be too dry shall be adequately wetted prior to placement.

Q: In regards to the moisture content requirements, are we permitted to pump water from the existing pond on site to supply adequate moisture to the earthfill?

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A: Yes. The smaller southernmost pond may be used as a water supply. The contractor will supply all needed pumps and tank trucks at the contractor’s cost.

Ryan E. Nelson, P.E.

State Wetland Engineer, Nacogdoches, TX Contracting Officer’s Representative cc: John Mueller, State Conservation Engineer, NRCS, Temple, TX Brian Wenberg, Assistant State Conservation Engineer, NRCS, Temple, TX Darren Clark, WRP Coordinator, NRCS, Temple, TX Kenneth Mayben, Zone Engineer, NRCS, Weatherford, TX Clyde Hogue, Resource Team Leader, NRCS, McKinney, TX Kalissa Garland, District Conservationist, NRCS, Bonham, TX Mike Woody, Civil Engineer Technician, NRCS, Nacogdoches, TX

Contracting Officer