Attachment B3 Agency Design Requirements.pdf

3/28/2024

A/E SCOPE OF WORK

VA Medical Center Providence, RI

Build-out for New PT/OT & Prosthetics Lease (Replaces E6)

PROJECT 650-24-115

1. GENERAL:

Provide Architect/Engineer professional services to include site surveys, acquire field data and verify as-built conditions to assure accurate development of design and bid documents, design, design development, construction documents, specifications, construction period services and site visits.

2. PROJECT SCOPE OF WORK:

Provide A/E design and construction services to build-out new leased space for the Providence Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center’s relocated PT/OT & Prosthetics Departments in Providence, RI.

The location of the space is to be determined. It will consist of approximately 12,000 SF of space for the PT/OT program and approximately 6,000 SF of space for the Prosthetics program. Some renovation of existing space is required to accommodate connectivity to new space.

Refer to the attached SEP’s Program for Design for a breakdown of required spaces and their areas.

Provide energy and water efficient features as construction project requirements.

The project shall incorporate features that meet VA standards for the dignity, security and privacy of patients who utilize the facilities constructed by this project.

This project involves fire/life safety, architectural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical disciplines.

The following tasks shall be performed:

1. Conduct a code analysis to ensure fire code, egress and accessibility requirements are complied with fully.

2. Prepare a Program for Design based on the VA’s PG-18 12 (rev, July 2023) Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service Design Guide. Submit the Program for Design for review and discussion with the VAMC Providence staff. Revise the Program for Design to respond to VAMC Providence comments until VAMC staff approves the Program for Design. The project space program shall not exceed 18,000 gross square feet of existing renovated space.

3. Conduct surveys, perform investigations, meet with staff who will be working in the areas being renovated to ensure the renovations meet the space and other needs for the particular specialty, and prepare documentation of all existing conditions necessary for the design and construction of this project. The VA will provide information based on past and current projects, however, verification is the responsibility of the A/E.

4. Using the approved Program for Design and results of initial site investigations and surveys, prepare conceptual designs of at least 3 alternative floor plans for presentation to and discussion with Providence VAMC staff; revise one or more of the conceptual designs to respond to VAMC staff comments until VAMC staff select a preferred alternative and accept the selected conceptual design.

5. Prepare design documents based on the concept design accepted by VAMC Providence.

6. Fully investigate interior spaces, by looking above drop ceilings and other explorative methods to determine utility locations, plumbing and electrical connections and other information that may impact the project design. Request access to inaccessible spaces from the VA to fully investigate existing conditions.

7. Assess existing HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, electrical, communication, security and alarm systems in the existing building to the extent necessary to determine whether these existing systems contain sufficient capacity to provide system needs for the proposed building renovations. For those building systems which do not contain sufficient capacity to support the renovations, identify potential means to provide the necessary building systems and evaluate each potential system for initial cost, life cycle cost, and suitability for a health care facility, maintainability, and compatibility with existing systems. Prepare a recommendation for each building system.

8. Prepare designs and construction documents for all architectural design and for all engineering necessary for a complete project, to include but not necessarily be limited to the following disciplines:

Architecture Mechanical engineering Electrical engineering Plumbing engineering Fire Protection engineering Specialty work.

9. Prepare furniture and equipment plans. Locate and identify all equipment. Indicate all furniture and equipment at correct scale. Coordinate utilities with furniture and equipment locations.

10. Prepare equipment schedules to include plan indication, name, manufacturer, size, power and utility requirements of proposed equipment the design is based upon.

Design utility systems to provide for equipment.

11. Prepare project construction schedules.

12. Prepare project submittal registers.

13. Prepare testing and inspecting tasks schedule.

14. Conduct a survey and identify asbestos and other hazardous materials for abatement.

Provide for abatement of any hazardous materials that are impacted by construction.

15. Conduct a Fire Code Review by a third-party independent Fire Protection engineer.

16. Meet with VAMC staff to make progress presentations, to discuss design approach, and to respond to inquiries during the design phase of the project

17. Attend a Pre-Bid meeting for the project.

18. Respond to inquiries and requests for clarification during the construction contract solicitation period of the project.

19. Attend a Pre-Construction meeting.

20. Provide an evaluation of the construction cost of the apparent low bidder or best qualified proposer.

21. Review and approve submittals from the construction contractor. (optional service)

22. Respond to inquiries and requests for clarification during the construction of the project

(Optional Service).

23. Prepare supplementary construction documents and cost estimates for any construction modification or change order required (Optional Service).

24. Conduct periodic visits to the project site during construction, when requested by the

VA (Optional Service).

25. Conduct a final inspection of the substantially completed project (Optional Service).

26. Provide record drawings of the completed construction project (Optional Service).

The A/E shall be responsible for the entire design of this project, including confirmation of existing conditions, investigation for the presence of hazardous materials, and a corresponding abatement plan. The A/E shall prepare written limitations on construction operations and include these construction limitations in the construction documents. Such limitations on construction operations shall ensure the continued safe operation of the existing hospital during construction of the project.

Prepare an infection control risk assessment in accordance with Infection Control Policies and Procedures of this VAMC for each portion of the existing facility that is impacted by the project.

Revise the risk assessment until the VAMC concurs with the results of the risk assessment.

Prepare a detailed infection control plan for the construction contractor to follow, based on the results of the risk assessment. This plan shall be based on medical center infection control policies and shall be site specific for the areas involved in the project.

Provide for Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM) in the design of the project that are necessary during construction in order that the occupied portions of Building 1 will continue to comply with NFPA 101, The Life Safety Code throughout the construction of the project.

3. PROPOSED SCHEDULE:

All time periods are stated in calendar days.

Start Design: As indicated in the Notice to Proceed (NTP)

Concept Design Documents due: 60 calendar days from start date indicated in NTP.

60% Construction Documents: 120 calendar days from start date indicated in NTP.

100% Construction Documents: 150 calendar days from start date indicated in NTP.

Final Construction Documents: 180 calendar days from start date indicated in NTP.

5. COST ESTIMATING REQUIREMENTS:

a. The A/E shall develop a detailed construction cost estimate, which will be developed simultaneously with each stage of the design and shall be submitted at each stage of the review process. The construction cost estimate shall reflect the expected construction cost and construction time for all work as soon as that work is identified and a reasonable approximation of the required details can be arrived at.

b. The cost estimate shall be broken down into labor, material and equipment costs for work required by the major disciplines, i.e., Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, and Electrical. The work grouped under each major discipline shall be placed into the appropriate VA Master Construction Specification Division using MasterFormat 2004 (MF04).

6. PLANNING INFORMATION/STANDARDS:

a. General Codes and Standards: The applicable portions of Government criteria in conjunction with industry standards shall govern the design and preparation of contract drawings, specifications, cost estimate, and design analysis. The design shall also satisfy applicable State of Rhode Island criteria. Particular emphasis is placed on the following documents that establish minimum requirements. This includes but is not limited to the following:

1. International Building Code (latest edition)

2. National Fire Protection Association 101 Life Safety Code, (latest edition)

3. International Mechanical Code (latest edition)

4. International Plumbing Code (latest edition)

5. The National Electrical Code (latest edition)

6. Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, latest edition published by the Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI), American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE)

7. Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS) and the VA Barrier Free Design Guide (PG 18-13), a supplement to ABAAS

8. United States National CAD Standard and VHA National CAD Standard Application Guide

9. VHA Program Guide 18-1, Master Construction Specifications

10. VHA Program Guide 18-3, Design and Construction Procedures

11. VHA Program Guide 18-4, Standard Details and CAD Standards

12. VHA Program Guide 18-10, VA Design Manuals

13. VHA Program Guide 18-12, VA Design Guides

14. VHA Program Guide 18-14, Room Finishes, Door and Hardware Schedules

15. VA Manual for Preparation of Cost Estimates and Related Documents

16. VA Lease Security Requirements for FSLII

17. Sustainable Design and Energy Reduction Manual (VA Facilities)

18. VHA Handbook 1330.01, Health Care Services for Women Veterans

19. VA Seismic Design Requirements H-18-8

20. Providence VAMC Design & Construction Standards

The A/E shall obtain all data necessary to prepare the design documents required. The A/E shall confirm all existing conditions and field verify the as-built drawings provided by the VA. The A/E is wholly responsible for both the accuracy and the level of completeness of the final product and failure to verify information is not acceptable. Information (drawings and other documentation) provided to the A/E by the VA or any other government source shall be used for reference only.

7. MEETINGS:

The A/E shall attend meetings at the time and place requested by the Contracting Officer or his Representative. Minutes of the meetings shall be taken by the A/E and submitted to the Contracting Officer or his Representative. Meetings shall include the following:

a. Pre-Design Meeting - The A/E shall meet with the Contracting Officer and/or his

Representative (from Facilities Management Service), and, if applicable, the Using Service's Representatives, to determine project requirements, the arrangement of the areas, and to clarify the scope of work.

b. Design Review Meetings-The A/E shall attend meetings with the Contracting Officer and/or his Representative (from Facilities Management Service), and the Using Service's Representatives during field investigations and for review conferences as needed to advance progress of the work. As a minimum, attend one review conference after each submission of the project design documents.

8. DESIGN SITE VISITS:

The A/E shall visit the proposed project site to obtain the details and specifics of the relevant existing field conditions in order to fully complete the work of this project without omission. Such visits shall include a thorough inspection of normally enclosed or inaccessible areas such as spaces above the ceilings, within walls or chases, in pipe crawl spaces, and in or under basement floors.

Where necessary, A/E shall arrange to have walls or ceilings opened to examine the interior or hidden conditions to provide complete drawings. Arrangements for visits to make inspections should be made by contacting Facilities Management Service, at least 48 hours before the visit.

9. ANSWERING INQUIRIES & ISSUING AMENDMENTS:

The A/E shall provide prompt answers and recommendations to inquiries made by the Government. In the event of error or omission, The A/E shall issue design amendments to the project documents to clarify the documents. Those amendments required to correct omissions or errors made by the A/E shall be at no additional cost to the Government.

10. FIRE CODE REVIEWS:

Conduct fire code reviews of each project submission prior to delivery of the submission to the

VA. Such review shall be performed by a qualified individual who is a licensed professional Fire Protection Engineer in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and is knowledgeable of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Fire Codes, of sprinkler system requirements, of fire alarm system requirements, of Life Safety Code requirements, and of VA referenced fire codes and standards. Such reviews shall be documented in writing and shall be conducted to ensure compliance with applicable fire codes and standards. The Fire Protection Engineer shall provide written certification with the final construction documents and before construction commences that the project documents conform to the requirements of the VA Fire Protection Design Manual, of NFPA 101, The Life Safety Code, and all other applicable fire codes and standards.

11. QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL:

The A/E is responsible for the quality of the project design. The A/E shall develop, execute, and demonstrate that the project plans and specifications have gone through a rigorous review and coordination effort. Submit a detailed QA/QC Plan describing each step that will be taken during the development of the various phases of design. The A/E shall include all sub-consultants in the QA/QC Plan. The plan shall include a process where a senior member of the firm verifies compliance with all elements of the firm’s QA/QC Plan.

12. DESIGN SUBMISSIONS:

The A/E shall retain file copies of all items forwarded to the Contracting Officer or his Representative under various design review submissions. Intent of such a requirement is to save time by resolving questions over the telephone, to ensure that copies are available in the event of loss or damage to the originals during reproduction, and to facilitate rework of documents for amendments made necessary by discovery of problems during later stages of project development.

The same official of the A/E firm with whom the contract was negotiated shall sign all correspondence with the Contracting Officer or his Representative. All submissions (drawings, specifications, cost estimates, design analysis, etc.) shall be legibly identified as the percent (%) of design submission. Each submission shall incorporate the comments made by the VA at the prior review stage.

a. Design Analysis (Basis of Design): Provide design analysis, in letter size format, bound together, and divided into appropriate sections by design discipline. Each design analysis shall describe in detail (with all assumptions specifically identified), (1) the scope of work (as the A/E understands it) with the specific objectives of the project, (2) the applicable Federal, State and Local regulations, codes and standards, with distinction made as to which reviews, approvals and permits are required during the design stage, and which are required before, during and after the construction stage, (3) any preliminary design calculations prepared by each design discipline (architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and others as necessary), (4) reports of site visits, (5) meeting minutes, (6) results of assessments and evaluations of alternative designs, and (7) all other relevant data. The design analysis shall be updated through each stage of submission and must reflect any changes in the development of the scope of work due to review comments, formal changes to the contract, or any other communication (written or oral) between the VA and the A/E.

b. Drawings: Base all original drawings on standard VA guidelines. Drawings shall be done in plan view at a minimum scale of 1/8" = 1 '0", where necessary, and generally 1/4" = 1'0" or larger when possible to fit on sheet. Details shall have a minimum scale of 1/4" = 1'0", and if possible, it is preferred larger. All details, title blocks, base plans, etc., shall be drawing as "XREFS" bound to the drawing for submission purposes and final issue only. All other usage shall be drawing from a common Master Set, daily if required, from a source maintained on the architect’s master database. The database shall be available by modem to all design disciplines and the VA. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure consistency and to eliminate design conflicts by guaranteeing that common elements of the design are consistent throughout the design life of the project.

Drawings shall be independent for architectural, mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, and any other design disciplines for the project, and shall show, on separate views required demolition and reconstruction details for each function.

Drawings shall be prepared in accordance with United States National CAD Standard and VHA Program Guide 18-3, VHA National CAD Standard Application Guide. Electronic version of drawings shall be submitted using IBM compatible "AutoCAD" 2000 and in Portable Document Format (.pdf). More recent AutoCAD releases are acceptable, with downwards compatibility to the 2014 release. Final drawings submitted by the A/E shall be originals, shall be the result of field investigation as described above, and shall not be direct takeoffs or tracings of any drawing provided as information.

Final drawings shall bear the VA title block and nomenclature as the sample sheets supplied by the VA. All drawings in a project set shall be on the same type and size sheets. All drawings are required to show existing conditions as of the date of the design submission.

All contract drawings shall be produced with a view to the use of half-size reductions.

Pertinent criteria to assure this result are as follows:

1. Drawings shall provide uniform photographic quality.

2. Minimum lettering height shall be not less than 1/8 inch hand lettering or 3/32 inch sans serif plotted lettering.

3. Legends and symbols as well as size, spacing and location of notes, dimensions, etc.

shall be such as to produce legible half-size reproductions.

4. No lettering, shading or marking on the reverse side is acceptable.

5. Clearly distinguish between new work and existing work.

6. Graphic scales shall be provided on all drawings.

b. Specifications: Provide complete project specifications, to include all sections of CSI

Divisions 1-50 that, in the opinion of the A/E, are necessary to properly and adequately construct the project by a construction contractor. Specifications shall be based on the VA Master Construction Specifications using the current 6-digit Master Format numbering system. Specifications shall be prepared in MS Word, IBM compatible format. Review and edit the applicable sections of the specifications as to completeness, relevance, and correctness. Delete references to industry standards and to other specification sections that do not apply to this project. Provide proper cross-references to other specifications that apply to the work. The intent is to provide specifications that are suitable for the project intention and detailed enough to enable the contractor to perform the work in the best and most cost-effective manner possible. It is equally important that the A/E “edit out" portions of the specifications that add additional cost to the project without additional value or quality. Not every portion of the master specification is appropriate to this project. Where choice of items is referenced in the specification section, consult with VAMC Facilities Management Service for direction on which option to select. The construction contractor shall not be provided options or choices to select from but must be provided the specific selection. Obtain from VAMC Providence Facilities Management Service the name and type of specialty materials and equipment that are required for use on the project. All materials shown in the specifications shall, if named specifically by brand or production name, carry the statement "or approved equal" and shall include specific material performance requirements that must be satisfied.

Exception may occur due to previously purchased or installed items interacting with new construction. In this situation, items used should be the same as existing or matched accordingly. The VA shall provide information on such items. Specify construction in detail in all the specification sections. Tolerances, and workmanship, shall not be allowed to default to "common industry/construction practices”, or any similar vague standard.

The legal precedence of the specifications over the drawings shall not be used to resolve design ambiguities between the drawings or notes necessary for clarity. Any contradiction, ambiguity, or statements subject to various interpretations shall be immediately corrected to reflect a single clear intention.

Incorporate the Providence VAMC’s local specification requirements into the specification package including specifications relating to data communications and cabling requirements, Fire wall/smoke barrier penetration permitting requirements, Hot Work permitting requirements, infection control permitting requirements, fire alarm system requirements, security system (Pegasys), HVAC digital control systems (Metasys), Code Blue and Team 3 Nurse call systems, PA systems and other local pertinent specifications and general conditions that relate to work and construction at the Providence VAMC.

Ensure all specification requirements are consistent with other sections and with information reflected in the drawings or the A/E may be held liable for costs incurred by the government for these and similar A/E design errors and inconsistencies in the specifications and drawings.

Perform searches of specifications and make corrections to remove inappropriate historical references and requirements. See “ATTACHMENT B Specification Clarification And Requirements”.

d. Construction Duration Schedules: The A/E shall submit with each design submission a schedule for the project indicating construction milestones and long lead items. The schedule will be in sufficient detail to accurately estimate the proper construction duration.

e. Minimum Requirements for Submissions to VAMC Providence: The cost of reproduction of all review materials is included in the contract amount. Submissions shall be made to VAMC Providence in accordance with the requirements of VA Program Guide PG- 18-15 Volume C, A/E Submission Instructions for Minor and NRM Construction Program dated May 2006, and the following:

(1) CONCEPT DESIGN DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (Preferred Alternative):

The following quantities of design review material are required:

(a) 2 copies of Drawings (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound)

(a) 2 copies of Design Analysis

(b) 1 copy of the Construction Cost Estimate

(c) 1 Electronic Media (CD ROM or successful electronic transmission) copy of the above documents

(2) CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (60%): The following quantities of design review material are required:

(a) 1 set of full size Plans (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound) and 2 half size Plans.

(b) 1 sets of Construction Cost Estimate

(c) 2 sets of Construction Specifications

(d) 2 sets of Design Analysis

(e) 2 copies of the Construction Duration Schedule

(f) 1 copy of A/E responses to VA comments of previous submission

(g) 1 copy of Fire Protection Engineer review comments

(h) 1 Electronic Media (CD ROM or successful electronic

(3) CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (100%): The following quantities of design review material are required:

(i) 1 set of full size Plans (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound) and 2 half size Plans.

(j) 1 sets of Construction Cost Estimate

(k) 2 sets of Construction Specifications

(l) 2 sets of Design Analysis

(m) 2 copies of the Construction Duration Schedule

(n) 1 copy of A/E responses to VA comments of previous submission

(o) 1 copy of Fire Protection Engineer review comments and final reconciliation of those comments

(p) 1 Electronic Media (CD ROM or successful electronic

(4) CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (Final): Upon completion of all revisions, submit the following items:

(a) 3 Electronic Media (CD ROM) copies of the final project documents, with all project documents recorded on a single CD ROM, and each copy containing the following:

drawings on IBM compatible "AutoCAD" version 2000 and in Portable Document Format (pdf) the final specifications in Microsoft Word format the final specifications assembled into a single file in Portable

Document Format (pdf) final construction cost estimate in Microsoft Excel Final Design Analysis in a single file in Portable Document Format

(pdf).

Construction duration schedule in Portable Document Format

(pdf).

(b) 2 full size sets of Plans (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound) and 4 half size sets of Plans.

(c) 1 set of Original Reproducible Specifications

(d) 1 copy of A/E responses to VA comments of previous submission

(e) 1 copy of Fire Protection Engineer certification that project documents conform to applicable fire codes and standards.

(f) 1 copy of documentation that demonstrates compliance with the A/E’s QA/QC

Plan

f. Requirements for Portable Document Format (pdf) Documents

a. Documents in Portable Document Format (pdf) format shall be published directly from native document format to pdf format without printing and scanning. Pdf documents shall be searchable, and content shall be selectable and able to be copied and inserted in other documents and or clip boards.

g. Delivery Media and Format for Final Documents

1. Format: CAD Drawings shall be prepared in accordance with VHA Program Guide 18-3, VHA National CAD Standard Application Guide. A copy of all data and files developed under this project shall be delivered to the Government in digital format. The data files should be provided on compact disk (CD ROM) in ISO 9660 format. A “Readme.txt” file must be included with the delivered digital media that includes normal transmittal information.

2. Label: The external label for each digital media shall contain the following information:

a. Contract Number and date.

b. Format and version of operating system software, name and version of utility software used for preparation and copying files to media.

c. Sequence number of digital media.

List of file names on the digital media

3. Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Before a file is placed on the delivery digital media the following shall be performed:

a. Remove all extraneous graphics outside of the border area and set the active parameters to a standard setting.

b. Check to ensure that all reference files are attached without device or directory specifications.

c. All digital files shall be delivered to the Government uncompressed.

d. Include all files both graphic and non-graphic required for the project (i.e., color tables, pen tables, font libraries, symbol libraries, user command files, plot configuration files, AML plot routines, etc.).

e. Make sure that all support files such as those listed above are in the same directory and that references to those files do not include device or directory specifications.

f. Include any standard sheets (i.e. abbreviation sheets, standard symbol sheets, etc.)

necessary for a complete project.

g. Document any fonts, tables, symbols, cells/blocks, line styles/types, details, reference drawings, etc., developed by the contractor, or not provided among the Government furnished materials. The contractor shall obtain Government approval before using anything other than the Government standards.

h. Each finished CADD drawing or map shall have its own separate plot file. The plot file for each finished drawing shall be provided to the Government in a specified plotter configuration.

g. Ownership: All electronic files created and reimbursed for this project shall be the property of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

13. CONSTRUCTION PERIOD SERVICES: (Optional Service).

The construction period service will commence with the award of the construction contract and will terminate with the acceptance of the completed construction by the VA. Services shall include the following. [SP 2, 27-31]

a. Review of submittals - within fifteen (15) calendar days after receipt of submittal the A/E shall complete the review of contractor submittals and return the submittals to the VA. [

b. Review of requests for information and change order cost proposals, and preparation of supplementary drawings or other documents that may be required to clarify or supplement the contract documents, shall be completed by the A/E within fifteen (15) days after receipt of request.

c. Preparation of as-built drawings by incorporating changes from the marked-up set of prints prepared by the contractor onto the original drawings. As-built drawings shall be on IBM compatible AutoCAD version 2014 - within sixty (60) days after receipt of the contractor's marked-up documents.

14. CONSTRUCTION PERIOD SERVICE AND SITE VISIT: (Optional Service).

a. The A/E shall provide construction period service which will include:

(1) Timely review of shop drawings and material submittals.

(2) Answer inquiries and provide clarifications on design and contract issues.

(3) Preparation of cost estimates for any change order or extra work required.

b. An estimated three (3) A/E site visits will be required, in addition to the final inspection and site visits made necessary by clarification of design, contract, or existing conditions not properly addressed in the contract documents. On each visit a field inspection of all contract work will be conducted, and assessment of progress made, and a written inspection report prepared and submitted to the VA Medical Center.

c. The A/E shall participate in the final inspection of the project work upon completion by the contractor.

d. The A/E shall submit a written report to the Contracting Officer or his Representative for each site visit performed. Additionally, the A/E shall maintain a record of site visits, recording thereon the date of each visit, the hours thereof, the purpose of the visit, their personnel involved, VA personnel contacted, and conversations made. The site visits made by the A/E for his own benefit or because of deficiencies in the A/E's performance shall be at no additional expense to the government.

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