Attachment No. 2 Answer to Questions.pdf

DRDC Fire Protection System Replacement Questions and Responses

1. Can you provide asbestos and lead surveys?

CDOC Response: Yes. See attached reports.

2. Are there any structural and/or post-tension slabs?

CDOC Response: All second and third levels are structural. CDOC has no documentation showing post-tension slab information.

3. Please confirm whether the ERCES must be supervised by the new EST -4 fire alarm control panel (e.g., standard DFD / IFC alarm and supervisory signals) per the governing Denver Fire Code / IFC 510 and NFPA 1225 editions, or whether a dedicated ERCES annunciator with an EPO activation switch has been approved by DFD as an alternative.

JH Response: The ERCES will not be supervised by the fire alarm. The ERCES will have an annunciator located in Master Control as shown on the drawings.

4. Please confirm the required features of the ERCES annunciator in the Master Control Room (status indications, EPO / On-Off activation switch, and keyed operation), and whether a specific manufacturer or model is required for the EPO switch. If so, please provide the manufacturer, model number, and product data sheet.

JH Response: The ERCES annunciator shall meet code requirements and provide indication of all supervision points needed to monitor the ERCES from Master Control. There is no specific EPO switch required.

5. Please confirm whether the ERCES amplifiers may remain in the "off" state during normal operation, with the EPO / On-Off activation switch used by DFD to activate the system when required. Has this operating mode been approved by DFD? Will this require an Administrative Modification (Ad min Mod - AM)? If so, will the AM be prepared and submitted by the ERCES integrator or by Jensen Hughes?

JH Response: Yes, the amplifiers will remain off during normal operations, and the EPO / on-off switch will be used by CDOC-trained staff. No, DFD has not approved this, but Jensen Hughes will work with DFD and provide an Admin Mod if needed.

6. Please identify all buildings and rooms that currently have conduit or underground pathway connected to the Admin Building that have spare capacity available for pulling ERCES single-mode fiber cabling.

JH Response: As-built drawings showing single-mode fiber optic cables routed between buildings are available only upon request. Please reach out to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement.

Additional fiber optic cable strands between buildings will not be required for the fire alarm and ERCES systems. CDOC has provided a total of eight (8) spare strands for the fire alarm and ERCES systems for this project.

7. Is the ERCES contractor required to furnish and install new dedicated single-mode fiber, or may existing spare single-mode fiber strands be used? If existing fiber may be used, please provide strand counts, routing, termination type, and available test results.

JH Response: As-built drawings showing single-mode fiber optic cables routed between buildings are available only upon request. Please reach out to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement.

The contractor shall provide all required fiber optic cables and terminations from the Equipment and Telecom rooms fiber optic patch panels to connected fire alarm and ERCES equipment.

CDOC Response: Test results are available upon request Please reach out to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement.

8. Please confirm that the single-mode fiber and conduits land in the Admin Building, and identify the conduit origin room/location in each building (G/H, I, and J/K) and the corresponding termination room/location in the Admin Building.

JH Response: As-built drawings showing single-mode fiber optic cables routed between buildings are available only upon request. Please reach out to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement.

The contractor shall provide all required fiber optic cables and terminations from the Equipment and Telecom rooms fiber optic patch panels to connected fire alarm and ERCES equipment.

9. Where no conduit or pathway exists between a building and the Admin Building, will new underground conduit be required?

CDOC Response: Existing underground pathways between buildings are available.

10. Please confirm whether the conduits and pathways installed by Sturgeon Electric in the Lower-Level Equipment Room(s) (observed during the site walk} are connected to the Admin Building. If so, are they available for ERCES use? Please provide their locations in each building, routing, size, and spare capacity.

JH Response: As-built drawings showing single-mode fiber optic cables routed between buildings are available only upon request. Please reach out to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement.

The contractor shall provide all required fiber optic cables and terminations from the Equipment and Telecom rooms fiber optic patch panels to connected fire alarm and ERCES equipment.

11. May metal-clad (MC) armored ½" coaxial cable be installed in lieu of conduit?

Please identify any areas where conduit is mandatory (e.g., inmate-accessible or exposed locations) and any pathway survivability requirements that apply. Product data can be provided upon request.

JH Response: No, conduit is required throughout the entire facility.

12. In areas with lay-in tile or hard-lid ceilings, may omni antennas be surface mounted directly to the ceiling, with splitters and couplers installed above the ceiling? Is the above-ceiling space considered adequate for mechanical and access protection?

Or must all ERCES passive components be installed in junction boxes, including those above the ceiling?

JH Response: All equipment and components above and below the ceiling shall be installed in secure conduit and junction boxes.

13. In open or exposed areas without ceilings, is a protective enclosure required for each antenna, splitter, or coupler? Please confirm that a non-metallic, RF-transparent, tamper-resistant enclosure is acceptable for antennas, with metal junction boxes used only for splitters and couplers.

JH Response: All equipment and components in open or exposed areas without ceilings shall be installed in secure conduit and junction boxes. Non-metallic, RF-transparent boxes are acceptable.

14. For any required enclosures, are specific types, models, security fasteners, or keyed or locking hardware specified?

JH Response: NEMA-rated enclosures are specified; equipment in offender areas shall provide security tamper-proof screw and fasteners; there is no specified locking hardware for ERCES.

15. May the ERCES crew use private two-way radios (simplex, UHF 450 MHz band} for on-site communication? If so, what authorization and frequency coordination are required with DRDC operations?

CDOC Response: No, CDOC-provided escorts will have radios to communicate in the facility.

16. Please confirm that DRDC will provide escorts at all times at no cost to the contractor and state the escort-to-worker ratio and the available work hours.

CDOC Response: DRDC will provide one (1) escort per each working area as required at no cost to the contractor. Work hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

17. Will schedule extensions be granted for stop work, lock-downs, and accountability drills, and will the resulting lost time be compensable?

CDOC Response: No. The contractor will need to factor in time for security and other inevitable delays.

18. Please confirm the authorization process and lead time for RF test equipment (spectrum analyzer, test radios, and laptop) required for benchmark and acceptance testing.

CDOC Response: Equipment does not require prior authorization; however, all electronics equipment, such as Laptops, requires special clearance that will take at least three (3) business days.

19. Please confirm that the ERCES coverage area includes the Admin Building (Areas F, E, D, C, B, and A), Building G/H, Building I, and Building J/K.

JH Response: Yes, the ERCES coverage area includes the Admin Building (Areas F, E, D, C, B, and A), Building G/H, Building I, and Building J/K.

20. Please confirm that no other buildings or structures (e.g., ASU, guard towers, or outbuildings) are included in the ERCES coverage area.

JH Response: The Auxiliary Medical Facility which was called (ASU), guard towers, or outbuildings are not included in the ERCES coverage area.

21. Please identify which buildings' mechanical rooms and roof areas require ERCES coverage.

JH Response: The ERCES coverage area includes all mechanical rooms and roof areas that are indicated on the drawings that show failed coverage areas during the ERCES testing of DFD frequencies.

22. Does this project have any liquidated damages?

CDOC Response: No. However, as noted in the Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference Agenda, the awarded contractor bears the burden of meeting the agreed-upon milestones.

23. Drawings say the old system needs to remain in place until the new system is tested and accepted. Is that really the case or is this being treated as a standard retrofit upgrade utilizing existing pathways and maintaining the same level of protection that is currently in place?

JH Response: Because the existing fire alarm and fire protection systems are currently nonfunctional, they do not need to remain in service and can be demolished while the new system is installed.

24. Drawings state there is existing single-mode fiber that can be used, but the existing FA network is twisted pair. Please confirm the responsibility under this scope is to extend fiber connections from fiber patch panels to the panel and annunciator locations and that fiber is not needing to be added between patch panels.

JH Response: As-built drawings showing single-mode fiber optic cables routed between buildings are available only upon request. Please reach out to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement.

All new single-mode fiber optic cables from the existing single-mode fiber optic cable patch panels to the new fire alarm and ERCES equipment shall be provided by the contractor. Fiber-optic as-built drawings are attached to show existing routing between buildings.

25. Drawings call for a class A network. EST4 provides the capability to T-tap network wiring to minimize added conduit, cable and labor. Would it be considered to T-Tap the network to run the annunciators or do they potentially need a new conduit system meeting class A requirements?

JH Response: Panel-to-panel networking between buildings shall be Class A utilizing single-mode fiber optic pathways. Annunciators shall be tied to NET-AD cards and configured with copper wiring.

26. Drawings call for aspirating detectors and linear heat at the top of the elevator shafts. If the elevators are hydraulic and the shafts are rated, these devices are not required in Denver. Please advise.

JH Response: IBC requirements for an I-3 occupancy require 100% fire sprinklers throughout all areas. Regardless of Denver elevator codes.

27. Drawings call for all panels to be re-keyed. What key/lockset is desired?

JH Response: It is up to the contractor to provide a key/lockset and have it approved through CDOC.

28. Is the intent of the alternate for adding aspirating detectors to the intake cells to conceal the piping above the ceiling or surface mount through the cells?

JH Response: Yes, the intent of the add alternate is to provide a concealed, air-aspirating piping network for all areas located in offender areas as identified on the drawings.

29. Is it the intention of this project to demo and re install the piping and components of each system completely before moving onto the next sprinkler system? Ie. Building G area A to be demoed, re-installed and tested/ passed before moving onto Area B to keep as much of the building sprinkler systems functional as possible during the project?

JH Response: The construction team needs to create a schedule for the work that makes sense for review by CDOC. For Living Units 1-4 and Gymnasium (i.e. Bldgs G- K), and the Aux Medical, the intent would be to demo and reinstall before moving on.

In the main admin building (i.e. Bldgs A-F), the riser for all systems is in Bldg. F. Work is needed to be done in multiple areas for each system, which likely makes it impossible to replace one system at a time.

30. Do we have any indication of typical Fire sprinkler pipe sizes throughout the buildings along with the estimated locations of the piping?

JH Response: The living units had main sizes of 2" with 1 ¼" branch lines. The majority of the systems on-site were similar in size. Estimated locations are shown on the FX drawings.

31. Can you provide the sizes of the fire sprinkler valves, backflows, and dry systems valves for the existing systems?

JH Response: All backflows on site are 4-inch in size except for Bldg F which has a 6-inch backflow. All dry / preaction valves are 3-inch in size. Some systems are reduced to 2-inch or 2.5-inch after the valve. The wet systems had various sizes (3 and 6 inch in Admin, Aux med was 2.5", Additional pictures available upon request.

The contractor can send an email to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement to request a link to the photos.

32. During the walk-through, we were not allowed to take pictures. Can you provide the pictures that were taken during the walk-through and any additional pictures that Jensen Hughes took during the initial system assessment?

JH Response: Additional pictures available upon request. The contractor can send an email to the project representative noted in the bid advertisement to request a link to the photos.

33. Can you mark all areas on the sprinkler drawings where non-institutional heads are to be changed to institutional?

JH Response: For bid purposes, there is no difference whether the heads were originally non-institutional or institutional. The drawings show the head type for the current design. Please bid the number of institutional heads shown on the drawings.

Pertaining to the Auxiliary Medical facility, it has enough staff present at all times that offenders will not be left alone, so it was deemed not to require institutional heads.

34. Can you mark the areas on the drawings that are considered wet areas per note G.4

JH Response: The areas indicated as wet are Showers, Bathrooms, Kitchen, etc.

35. Please mark areas needing temporary protection per note I on page 203 – My understanding was the whole facility is on fire watch.

JH Response: CDOC is providing a fire watch for the entire facility.

36. Does the 4’ concealed space above cell blocks or other areas require heads? If so, please mark all locations where this is required.

JH Response: No protection above the cell blocks is required. These are non-combustible concealed spaces that do not need additional protection per NFPA 13.

37. Is there supportive structure above the hardlid ceilings in the cell blocks that will handle the weight of field technicians and the necessary materials or will this ceiling need to be removed to access and hang pipe?

JH Response: The area directly above the living units and walkways is concrete and can support field technicians and materials. The ceiling above the open day room area needs to be partially removed to access the piping above the ceiling and allow work to be done from a lift. That ceiling is not structural to support a technician.

38. What is required for submittals of field quality-control test reports?

JH Response: Required fire suppression submittals would be the NFPA 13 above-ground test papers, O&M manual, shop drawings, material data sheets, hydraulic calcs.

39. The riser for the aux-medical facility is not noted to be demoed on plans. Is the system remaining and only sprinklers changed out for institutional heads?

JH Response: Please provide a price for full replacement of the system. If needed, the scope may be reduced to a head change-out due to the age of the system in this area.

40. Are sprinklers in skylights required to be institutional?

JH Response: In living unit 5, the heads are required to be institutional. In living units 1-4, the skylights are high enough that institutional heads are not required.

41. Are lifts allowed in cell blocks?

CDOC Response: Yes, lift are allowed.

JH Response: A lift will be required in the cell block to complete the work above the day rooms. With proper coordination, a lift is acceptable and was used on previous projects.

42. Standard sprinklers are noted covering the dock and coolers on page FX-105 – are dry barrels not required for these spaces and the freezer?

JH Response: Dry barrel sprinklers would be required for these spaces to prevent freezing.