Amendment No.0001 to RFQ 19KS7026Q0022.docx

RFQ No. 19KS7026Q0022

Questions & Answers Single-Module Prefabricated Housing in Yongsan Embassy Housing

Solicitation Number 19KS7026Q0022 Offer due date: July 4, 2026, 5 pm, Korean Time

Question No.1:

Is only light-gauge steel framing acceptable? If not, is it acceptable to use steel only for columns and beams, and construct the walls using wood-wall panels?

Answer:

Light-gauge steel framing is acceptable, provided it complies with the OBO SME team’s standards for structural and fire safety. The contractor must ensure all SME safety inquiries are fully addressed.

Question No.2:

If wooden construction is permitted, is it acceptable to prefabricate the structures entirely in the factory before transporting them to the site?

Answer:

Due to strict U.S. Embassy safety protocols, wooden construction is an option only if it satisfies OBO SME team requirements for fire and structural integrity. Contractors must provide technical justification to meet OBO SME safety standards. The prefabrication and transport-to-site model is consistent with the project's goal.

Question No.3:

Regarding plumbing and mechanical installations:

· Is only a restroom required?

· Should the restrooms be separated by gender (men's and women's), or is a single unisex/common restroom sufficient?

Answer:

The installation of restrooms is not within the scope of work for this project. Therefore, no plumbing for restrooms is required.

Question No.4:

Does the scope of the 30% design submission apply only to floor plans?

Answer:

The 30% design submission is not limited to floor plans; it must encompass all discipline drawings reflecting the core design intent. All submittals need to be detailed enough for a formal OBO review and must guarantee adherence to relevant regulations and standards. Furthermore, for the interior portion, please include preliminary renderings and a finish schedule with product cutsheets to confirm the design approach.

Question No.5:

Must the maximum floor area be within 90m²?

No, the minimum floor area must be 90m² or larger.

Question No.6:

Must a clear interior ceiling height of 3 meters be secured?

Yes, the interior ceiling height must be at least 3 meters.

Question No.7:

During yesterday's site visit, we noticed an entrance gate leading into the village/housing complex. What are the height and width dimensions of this gate?

Answer:

The gate clearance for vehicle access is 7 meters in width and 5.3 meters in height. Please also note that the entry gate to the housing compound has a width of 3.6 meters.

Question No.8:

According to the Statement of Work (SOW), increasing the wall thickness is inevitable to simultaneously satisfy the minimum interior net area of 90㎡ and the U-value of 0.150 W/㎡·K or less for Central Region 1. As this may cause the facility to exceed the exterior dimensions 14m × 6.5m indicated on the attached drawing S-02, please clarify whether the exterior dimensions may exceed the drawings as long as the 90㎡interior area is prioritized and secured.

Answer:

As long as a minimum interior area of 90㎡is secured, it is acceptable for the exterior dimensions to exceed the drawings. To reiterate, the drawings we provided are simply conceptual diagrams intended to show the installation location of the prefab gym.

Question No.9:

Please clarify whether there is a room partition plan utilizing interior walls within the 90㎡or larger interior space.

The interior space is a continuous open space. There are no plans for individual rooms.

Question No.10:

This project appears to require compliance with both U.S. standards (NEC, ADA, etc.) and Korean standards (KDS, KEC, Fire Safety Codes, etc.). In the event of a technical conflict between the codes of the two nations, please clarify which country's standards shall be applied as the governing code.

Answer:

Technical conflicts rarely occur. However, should such a case arise, please apply the more stringent code.

Question No.11:

Please clarify whether a separate step-down transformer for the low-voltage 220V/110V supply needs to be installed inside the module.

Answer:

The Embassy utilizes a 120/208V single-phase, three-wire system. Do not install a separate transformer. Instead, please configure the electrical panel as a single-phase, three-wire system.

Question No.12:

Due to the nature of modular construction, electrical systems are prefabricated in the factory and assembled on-site, resulting in multiple wiring joints that require careful consideration for constructability and maintenance. Please clarify whether the length limitation for flexible conduits (e.g., 1.8m) can be partially relaxed only for certain sections, such as joints. Additionally, please clarify whether exposed conduits can be applied instead of concealed piping.

Answer:

In principle, relaxing the standards for flexible conduits is not permitted. However, in unavoidable cases, it may be allowed provided you obtain prior approval from the COR. Furthermore, all conduits must be concealed.

Question No.13:

Please clarify if there is an approved Vendor List for the distribution boards and internal electrical equipment. Additionally, please clarify whether domestic (Korean) products are acceptable or if importing from the U.S. is required.

Answer:

There is no designated vendor list. The use of domestic (Korean) products is permitted.

Question No.14:

Please clarify if there is an approved Vendor List for the fire safety equipment to be installed inside. Additionally, please clarify whether domestic (Korean) products are acceptable or if importing from the U.S. is required.

Answer:

There is no designated vendor list. The use of domestic (Korean) products is permitted.

Question No. 15:

Please clarify whether the U.S. Government’s drawing review periods specified in Clause B.2.6 (i.e., 3 weeks for 30% review, 3 weeks for 90% review, and 10 days for construction drawings review) are included in the overall contract Performance Period (Construction Schedule). Furthermore, please clarify whether the 180-day completion period from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) specified in Section E includes the design phase or the design drawing submission and review period.

Answer:

The 180-day duration includes the contractor’s design and construction phases. However, the U.S. Government's drawing review periods are excluded from this timeframe. Furthermore, if there is a justifiable reason, an extension of time may be granted subject to approval by the CO.

Question No. 16: Fixture Verification Please provide the final confirmed specification of the light fixtures to be installed—whether they should be ceiling recessed or surface-mounted flat panels.

· Reference: Section B.2.2.2 (Securing plenum space for recessed lighting) vs. Section B.2.4.6 (Surface-mounted 600x600 LED flat-panel)

Answer:

Please provide either recessed-type fixtures or ultra-low-profile surface-mounted fixtures.

Question No. 17: Site Constraints Please clarify and provide information on the following items

· Reference: Section B.1. minimum of 90m²

· (a) Maximum allowable building area:

Answer: The minimum requirement for the interior net area is 90m² or more, and there is no restriction on the maximum allowable building area.

· (b) Setback distances from site boundaries and adjacent facilities:

Answer: Please refer to the provided drawings. The proposed installation location for the prefab gym is approximately 4 meters away from the existing restroom and about 2 meters from the existing fence. Slight adjustments may be made depending on actual field conditions.

· (c) Transport trailer access route and crane operation radius:

Answer: The delivery route is identical to the vehicle access path used during the pre-bid conference. Tents and other items observed during the pre-bid conference are temporary installations and will be completely removed before construction begins, so there will be no major obstructions for crane operations.

· (d) Site topography and soil conditions:

Answer: The site topography is relatively flat. The ground condition is a grass-covered surface with stabilized soil. Weather permitting (absent of rain), no major issues are anticipated for crane positioning and operation.

Question No.18: Work Boundary for Main Power Incoming Line Please clarify whether the primary-side power cable and underground conduit installation routing into the newly constructed main distribution board are included in the scope of this contract, or if they fall under the foundation works or a separate responsibility of the client.

· Reference: Section B.2.4.1 (Main Panel installation within the contract scope) vs. Section B.2.7.5 (Works by Others — only concrete slab specified)

Answer:

The primary-side power cable and underground conduit installation are not included in this contract.

Question No.19: Certification Standards for Electrical Materials When applying major electrical materials such as wires, RMC, distribution boards, and circuit breakers, please clarify whether Korean KS-certified products with equivalent performance are permitted, or if U.S. UL-certified products are mandatory. (In particular, since Korean Type F is specified for 220V receptacles, verification for consistency is required.)

· Reference: B.2.4 (NEC compliance) + B.2.6.3 (KEC applied design standards)

Answer:

Products manufactured domestically in Korea are acceptable for use.

Question No.20: Story Height / Ceiling Height Standards Please confirm whether the specified 3.0 meters refers to the net clear ceiling height after finishing. This matter directly impacts modular transport height constraints.

· Reference: Section B.1 "minimum interior ceiling height of 3.0 meters"

Answer:

Yes, it refers to the clear ceiling height.

Question No.21: Room Configuration and Interior Partitioning Inquiry: Please clarify whether the 90m² space should be a single open space, or if separate designated zones (e.g., cardio zone, weight zone, stretching zone, office/storage space, etc.) are required inside. If separate sections are required, please provide:

· (a) Purpose and area of each room

· (b) Differences in finishing material specifications by use (especially flooring thickness and material)

· (c) Partitioning method (fixed walls / movable partitions / visual separation only)

· Reference: Section B.1 "90㎡ or more continuous internal space" + Section B.2.2.8 (Separate mention of free-weight zone) Answer:

It is a single open space. However, as described in the SOW, a free-weight zone must be configured within a section of the open space. The free-weight zone shall utilize the same flooring material but with a different thickness.

Question No.22: Window Layout and Specifications Section B.2.3.1 specifies window dimensions (1,500 X 1,200) and quantity (minimum of 6), but the location, orientation, and height are not specified.

Please clarify if there are any requirements or determining criteria for the following items:

· (a) Window placement and distribution per wall:

Answer: Please propose the window layout/locations during the design phase.

· (b) Privacy considerations (Due to the nature of a gym, blocking external views may be necessary—please clarify if there are restrictions on exterior-facing windows or requirements for privacy/obscure glazing):

Answer: There are no restrictions regarding privacy.

· (c) Installation heights (sill height, head height):

Answer: Please propose the window installation heights during the design phase.

· (d) Considerations for natural lighting, ventilation, and emergency egress routes:

Answer: Please propose these considerations during the design phase, taking actual site conditions into account.

Question No.23: Roof Finishing Material Specifications Please clarify if there are any designated specifications for the exterior roof finishing material (e.g., metal panels, asphalt shingles, pre-coated steel sheets, etc.). If unspecified, please confirm whether the contractor may proceed with a contractor-proposed alternative.

· Reference: Section B.2.2.1 (Only mandates U-value of 0.150 or less), roof finishing material specifications are missing in Section B.2.2.

Answer:

No specific type of roof finishing material has been designated. Please propose the material during the design phase. However, materials that fail to meet domestic or international standards and codes cannot be used.

Question No.24: Proposal of Alternative Structural Systems Our company specializes in lightweight wood frame modular systems. Please clarify whether applying the following alternatives will result in any disadvantage during the bid evaluation. Upon applying an alternative, we will separately submit supporting documents such as (a) structural calculations and (b) U-value test reports.

· Reference: Section B.2.2.2, Section B.2.2.4 (Specifies lightweight steel framing)

· Option A: A lightweight wood frame modular method that guarantees equivalent or superior structural stability (live load of 500kg/㎡ or more).

· Option B: A hybrid method that partially applies heavy-gauge steel sections (such as H-beams) to major structural members to ensure structural stability, while configuring the remaining wall panels with a lightweight wood frame.

OBO applies strict fire and structural codes and standards. No disadvantage will be given to any proposal that fully satisfies the criteria established by the OBO SME (Subject Matter Expert) team.

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