AG-82BH-S-15-0025_Sugar_Creek_Pre-Proposal_Q_ _A's.docx

Pre-Proposal Questions and Answers

AG-82BH-S-15-0025

Sugar Creek ATV Trail and Bridge Project The following questions were submitted and each question and answer is provided below:

1. Does the government anticipate import of material to construct the trail to the lines and grades shown on sheet 5 of 9, Proposed Trail and Bridge Plan & Profile? If so, is there a borrow area onsite?

The government has native material already stockpiled at site adjacent to Stationing 0+00.00 that shall be used to balance all cut and fill.

2. Should re-placement of topsoil / duff material in seeding / landscape areas be included in the Clearing and Grubbing Bid item?

On sheet 3 of 9 in pay item 91202 “Clearing and Grubbing” notes, the last sentence states that the contractor shall stockpile top 4” duff material to later cap all disturbed areas excluding the tread width to enhance future vegetation. Therefore the proposed work is included in this pay item.

3. Are the 12” x 12” timber sills and timber sill anchor bolts to be included in the gabion basket bid item?

Please read all notes on Sheet 2 of 3 and sheet 3 of 9. The 12” x 12” continuous timber sills are included in pay item 96302 “Glulam Stringer Trail Bridge, Length 30’-00” Span”. Pay item 96302 also includes assembling and installation of government furnished bridge. Also includes the pick-up and delivery of government furnished material to project location (see Vicinity Map). The bridge posts, glulam slabs, rails, rail caps, and 5/8" dia. glulam threaded rods will be government furnished. It's the contractor's responsibility to furnish the continuous timber/mudsills, 3/4" dia. threaded anchor bolts, hex nuts, iron and plate washers that assembles gabion basket to sill and all other components that's not government furnished. It’s up to the contractor if he or she wants to place the ¾” diameter threaded rods into the Gabion Baskets pay item or the Bridge pay item. The Forest Service is more concerned with your total bid price, all parts & components meeting industry standards and specifications, constructability, performance(s), and quality of finish project. .

4. Unsure of the exact location for the Sugar Creek ATV Trail and Bridge.

The contract drawings have a state map and vicinity map on sheet 1 and sheet 2 with the exact location of proposed site. Section C of the solicitation has the “Location”.

5. To confirm bids are to be submitted to you via email to tparanda@fs.fed.us correct?

Yes, in accordance with Section L of the solicitation.

Proposal must be submitted by Email Only to tparanda@fs.fed.us. No other forms of submission will be accepted.

Contractor is responsible for verifying receipt of proposal by the Contracting Officer.

6. In getting quotes for the Gabion baskets specified in the bid documents we found that the dimensions specified for the baskets are not standard and in fact cannot be found in the country as specified. The standard dimensions on that size of basket is 3 ft X 3 ft X 12 ft. To get the gabions as specified would require a special order and since the quantities is only two baskets they would be very expensive and would be out a month or more for delivery after the order is placed if they will make them at all.

Suggest using the standard 3 X 3 X 12 standard basket and either changing the elevations below the baskets or adding more foundation base to raise the elevation to accommodate the foot difference to get back to the standard size of a 3 foot depth.

The elevations shown below the gabion baskets are specified at the elevation shown due to a site survey, stream cross sections, scour depths, hydrology etc. The engineer will not allow foundation base to accommodate for difference in gabion basket height. The Forest Service engineer recommends using a standard 12'L x 3W x 4'H which is a standard size as shown on sheet 6 of 9 of drawings. The supplier can make the 12'L x 3W x 4'H standard size with no issues with an expectancy delivery date of 10-12 days. Double stacked gabion baskets will not be allowed on this project. Try contacting gabionsupply.com for information on the exact same dimensions for the (12’ x 3’W x 4’H) gabion baskets which will be acceptable.

7. Another problematic catch is the poly coating requirement on a 9 ga welded wire basket. They would also have a delay of 2-4 weeks after being ordered because it too would be considered a "special" order.

The engineer will accept a galvanize #9 standard gage wire mesh in lieu of polyvinyl chloride coated requirement. Twisted wire mesh will not be allowed or accepted.

8. The mud sills would also be a special order because of their size and would have a delay of 2-3 weeks before delivery. I could not find a species specification on those timbers. Do you know if there is one?

- 12”x12” Douglas Fir Larch – Rough Sawn No. 1 Grade is acceptable.

- Treated with either Pentachlorophenol in heavy oil (Type A Solvent) or Copper Napthenate in Heavy Oil (Type A solvent).

- Both types of pressure treatment should be specified for Use Category 4B Ground Contact – Use Heavy duty (UC4B) treatment.

- If any of the members will be field cut, contractor shall treat all field cuts with government furnish naphthenate wood preservative

9. Will equipment be available by the FS to load the glulam stringers at the Indian Creek Work Center?

No government equipment will be available to load and unload government furnished glulam slabs. It’s the contractor’s responsibility to load and unload all government furnished material at Indian Creek WC to project location site which is approx. 10.5 miles south of the WC. The government furnished glulam stringers/slabs are stocked at the Indian Creek WC as shown in the drawings on sheet 2 of 9.

10. What is the weight of an individual glulam stringer?

The decked government furnished glulam slabs are made of treated west coast Douglas Fir. The longitudinal slabs are 10 ¾ inch thick by 18 inches wide by 30 feet long continuous longitudinal length. The contractor can contact Western Wood Structures, Inc to determine weight of individual slab.

11. There is a pipe and cable barrier between the road and the trail---will that be removed by others because it is not shown in the drawings.

The cable and post located at proposed Beginning of Project (BOP) will be removed by Forest Service employees.

12. There is pile of material that looks usable on or near the trail tread area just off the road is that usable material?

The stockpiled material is designated for this exact project. The stockpiled material shall be used to balance out cut and fill per drawings sheet 5 of 9.

13.There is a good flow in the creek--if we put straw barriers down stream it will create a ponding situation which might inhibit the work area--is that what you were envisioning?

The contractor shall continue to plan on placing the straw bales a minimum of 100 ft. downstream as shown in the drawings sheet 9 of 9. If creek velocity and water elevation increases or creates a ponding effect into work area, the straw bales will be re-evaluated with Forest Service Biologists and Engineer to come up with a different alternative.

14. On the plans and drawings the Finish Centerline Trail Grade Profile shows the beginning trail elevation to be at 1005 but the Plan view shows the existing road grade at that point to 1004 elevation. Is the trail elevation really going to start 1 full foot above the existing road surface just a couple of feet away? If so--fine but it sure seems odd to me. If not---is there elevation adjustments to be made on other points in the documents because of it?

The FS obtained a site survey on this project location and engineer designed in the year 2014. Contractor shall construct the proposed trail to finish centerline trail grade profile shown on drawings sheet 5 of 9 and staked and constructed to proposed horizontal alignment coordinates shown on drawings sheet 4 of 9. The engineer has checked the electronic version of design and both, the proposed BP finish grade profile stationing 0+00.00 and existing grade profile stationing 0+00.00 both shows an elevation of 1005.00’ as shown in drawing sheet 5 of 9. The trail centerline alignment, catchpoints, ditch and all bridge abutments shall be construction staked as covered in pay item 15201. All staking shall be approved by Contractor Officer Representative (COR) before contractor can commence with construction. If site differing conditions or design error are encountered, the COR will address problem accordingly.

Engineer has checked elevations as shown on drawings sheet 5 of 9 and the BP and existing grade profile elevations are both the same elevation as mention in previous response. It shouldn’t be a problem due to site survey and design that was obtained in 2014. As also stated in previous responses, if site differing conditions or design error are encountered, the COR will address problem accordingly.