QA_for_CO_FLAP_CR_5(1)_3-13.pdf

Questions for CO FLAP CR 5(1), CR 5 and CR 3 Intersection

2/19/15

Site Visit was held. See notes posted to www.fbo.gov

2/24/15

1. Question: Where are the seeding specifications? I don’t see them.

a. See Sheets 100 and 101 of the plans.

2. Question: I’ve been searching the bid documents to find a DBE subcontracting requirement – is there one?

a. See page C‐17 of the Invitation for Bid, 52.236‐1 “Performance of Work by the

Contractor (SEP 2006).” The requirement is 50%.

3. Question: I am a precaster here in Grand Jct. checking to see if the culverts to be replaced will be reinforced concrete pipe and if the proposed 10’ x 10’ Box culvert can be precast?

a. Culvert to be placed: Please provide Corrugated Metal Pipe (CMP)

b. Precast box culvert is acceptable see Sheet 88 of the plans: Notes 1 and 2 and Standard

Plan M601‐1

2/26/15

4. According to final geotechnical investigation repot for Rio Blanco County Road 5&3 intersection.

Page 7 states: “Bedrock cut slopes would likely require heavier equipment, rock splitting and/or blasting. On‐site soils and bedrock could be used in site grading fills. We (Yeh & Associates) recommend the materials be processed to a maximum particle size of 6 inches and less.”

It has been Precision Excavating Inc.’s experience from prior County Road 5 projects that whether ripping or blasting, sizes will average 3’ or more. Are you going to stay with 6” specification or allow a rock fill specification that will greatly reduce cost to project. Additionally will you add items for blasting and rock processing with quantities, to give every contractor an even playing field for bidding and ease of payment for work completed?

a. Blasting and rock processing are subsidiary to embankment construction Items 20420‐ 0000. See Subsection 204.17 of the SCRs.

Subsection 204.10 of the FP‐03 does allow for rock embankment and 204.11 of the FP‐ 03 indicates the process for determining the gradation of a rock embankment and the compaction requirements.

5. Embankment – complete in place has the quantity for reshaping the irrigation ditches also. We feel this should come out and be a separate quantity, as the material may need to be imported to meet the 10 PI?

a. Sheet 18 of the Plans indicates the total amount of material required to meet the PI requirements. The cost of import is subsidiary to the embankment pay item.

6. If site does not generate enough topsoil to cover the 52,864 s.y. should there be an import item quantity to bid?

a. Topsoil quantities are accounted for on sheet 102 of the plans. Remove and conserve the top 4” of material. Place back on finished slopes and condition the soil per section 624 of the SCRs.

7. Work sheet shows 10% shrink and import of approx. 5,000 c.y. What if job actually fluffs due to rock. Should you have a quantity for haul off of excess?

a. A pay item will not be added at this time.

3/5/15

8. Item No A0541 Equipment = 50 Hours : Please confirm this item is to cover equipment used in removal and disposal of sediment (erosion control maintenance)?

a. Confirmed.

9. Item No A0611 Special Labor, Hired Technical Services = 20 Hours : General Note 6 indicates this is for Public Information Management. Elsewhere in the bid documents it suggests this item is for Nest Removal (Sheet 102) and Survey (Specs) services. Please clarify what professional service is paid for under this item?

a. Note 6 is incorrect. Formal public information management is not required. This item could be used for nest removal or survey services as requested by the CO.

10. Specification Section 107 is indicating that utility potholing will likely be required to identify/locate utility locations. How will utility potholing be paid?

a. Utility potholing is subsidiary to embankment pay item.

11. Sheet 71‐ Concrete Wier Box: There is no payment item for concrete class B under which this weir box would be compensated per the detail notes?

a. Sheet 71 is not rquried for the contract. Sheet 71 will be X‐out. Some details on sheet

70 are not required and will be X‐out in a coming amendment.

12. Item No A0351 Structural Concrete Class C = 71 CY : Reinforcing steel of 2,495 LB is identified as subsidiary to this item. Tabulation on Sheet 84 shows 2,495 LB for the Walls and 4,339 LB for the Stock pass, for a total of 6,834 LB. Is the rebar for the Stock pass subsidiary to another bid item?

a. There are design inconsistencies with these quantities. The following changes will be made to the plans in an amendment:

Sheet 10 – The quantity of Item 55201 – 0600 will be revised to only 43 Cuyd, and 4,339 lbs of rebar will be subsidiary to that item.

Sheet 84 – The 60101‐0000 concrete and 2495 lbs of steel are not required for the project and will be removed from the Retaining wall quantities.

Sheet 84 – Summary of the Stock Pass Quantities – the 60101‐000 will be changed to 55201‐0600 and 4339lbs of steel will be subsidiary to that item.

13. Item No A0351 Structural Concrete Class C = 71 CY : Tabulation on Sheet 84 shows 28 CY related to retaining wall construction. The MSE Wall details shown on Sheet Number 85 do not show where this concrete is placed. Please clarify where this 28 CY of structural concrete is placed? There appears to be no structural concrete levelling pad required – is it for the Stock pass headwall that abuts the MSE wall?

a. No concrete is required for the MSE walls. Sheet 84 will be corrected in an amendment.

14. Item No A0211 Structure Excavation = 3,1711 CY : 2,370 CY is tabulated for the retaining wall per Sheet 84. Per specification Section 205, structure excavation, select wall backfill, wall backfill, and facing fill is subsidiary to the A0261 MSE Wall bid item. Please clarify what limits of Structure Excavation are included in this pay item??

a. Section 255.08 of the SCRs controls. Structure excavation and backfill will not be paid for separately for MSE wall construction.

Sheet 84 will be revised to show structure excavation, wall backfill, and select wall backfill subsidiary to the MSE wall Pay Item 25501‐1000.

Sheet 9 will be revised to reflect the quantities.

15. Item No A0221 Structure Backfill = 4,041 CY : 3,770 CY is tabulated for the retaining wall per

Sheet 84. Per specification Section 205, structure excavation, select wall backfill, wall backfill, and facing fill is subsidiary to the A0261 MSE Wall bid item. Sheet 85 and 86 do not identify where Structure Backfill is used. Please clarify the placement location for Structure Backfill at the MSE wall location?

a. Structure backfill is not required. Sheet 84 will be revised to show wall backfill and select wall backfill quantities and they will be subsidiary to the 25501‐1000pay item.

16. Items A0721 and A0731 appear to be identical bid items. Why are these items being bid as separate line items?

a. One item is for Xwalk Stop Line and one is for Word‐Symbol. See descriptions on Sheets

11, 113, and 116

17. Item A0051: No information is provided to determine the required diameter of the detour pipe. Please specify minimum diameter or required minimum flow capacity?

a. Furnish 36” diameter temporary pipes.

18. Item A0191: It is understood that that blasting of rock cuts is subsidiary to this work. Will rock scaling be paid under hourly equipment & labor rates?

a. Rock Scaling is not required. Remove loose material as required by the CO subsidiary to the embankment pay item.

3/6/15

19. Are only electric blasting caps going to be allowed? Nonel (nonelectric) caps have been used for decades and have proven to work very well for road cut projects as well as trenching, quarrying, etc.

a. Submittal and acceptance of the blast plans 14 days prior to blasting is a contract requirement. The contractor is fully responsible for the outcome and safety precautions. Non‐electric caps will be approved if included in the accepted blasting plan.

3/13/15

20. If Noel caps are allowed there should be no threat during the blasting operations for extraneous electrical currents or interference from radio transmitters. If Noel caps are approved can we eliminate the use of the specified signage; “radio transmitters turned off”?

a. Submittal and acceptance of the blast plans 14 days prior to blasting is a contract requirement. The contractor is fully responsible for the outcome and safety precautions. Non‐electric caps will be approved if included in the accepted blasting plan. The use of radio transmitters during blasting will be accepted if included the approved blast plan with Noel caps and signage will not be required.

21. Where is KM’s blasting guidelines, Project Special Provisions, Revision of Section 102?

a. KM’s blasting guidelines will not be in Section 102. They are included in Amendment 002 and will be an appendix to the contract.

22. Are the following specs to be inforced? They were not required on the last few federal projects we worked on:

205.08 Blasting.

(a) General. Drill and blast according to the blasting plan.

Before drilling, remove overburden soil and loose rock along the top of the excavation for at least 30 feet beyond the hole drilling limits or to the end of the cut.

A. Topsoil stripping and removal of loose rock will be required as applicable. You can propose alternate limits for overburden removal in the approved blast plan.

Cap all holes to prevent unwanted backfill. Place a stake next to each hole with hole number and t otal depth drilled.

B. Placing stakes at each hole will not be required.

(b) Drill logs. Submit drill logs. Include the following:

(1) Blast plan map showing designated hole numbers; and

(2) Individual hole logs completed and signed by the driller that show total depth drilled, depths and descriptions of significant conditions encountered during drilling that may affect loading such as water or voids, and date drilled

C. Provide evidence that the drilling was conducted according to the blast plans. Individual hole logs are not required.

For Questions 23 and 24:

(c) Controlled blasting.

Use drilling equipment with mechanical or electrical-mechanical devices that accurately control the angle the drill enters the rock. Select a lift height and conduct drilling operations so the blast hole spacing and downhole alignment does not vary more than 9 inches from the proposed spacing and alignment. When more than 5 percent of the holes exceed the variance, reduce the lift height and modify the drilling operations until the blast holes are within the allowable variance. Maximum lift height is 50 feet.

A 12-inch offset is allowed for a working bench at the bottom of each lift for drilling the next lower controlled blasting hole pattern. Adjust the drill inclination angle or the initial drill collar location so the required ditch cross-section is obtained when the bench is used.

23. Will magnetic protractors, set in place by hand, be sufficient to control the alignment for drilling the angled presplit holes?

a. Yes, this can be approved in the blast plan.

24. Typically hydraulic track drills require approx. 3.5 feet offset at the bottom of each left for drilling the next lower controlled (presplit) blast hole pattern. 3.5 feet is needed when setting up the boom, guideshell and rock hammer on the drill to start the hole in the correct location on each lift. Will the offset be increased to accommodate the space needed for the drill?

a. Yes, this can be approved in the blast plan.

25. Will the use of blasting mats be required on this project?

a. Section 205.05(a)(1) requires you to provide safety precautions . Section 205.08(a)(4‐6) require you to halt blasting for various safety reasons. If one of the conditions of 205.08(a)(4‐6) occurs you will be required to modify operations and mats may be required.

26. Are there structures in close proximity to the blast zone(s) requiring pre‐blast surveys?

a. No this is not anticipated. Follow guidelines for protection of underground gas lines.

27. Table 703‐2 was deleted and substituted in the SCR’s. The substituted table 703‐2 does not reference the contract pay item(s) ‐ Aggregate Base, Grading E or Subbase, Grading A. Please clarify which classification per substituted Table 703‐2 for the respective items is required.

a. See Sheet 10 of the Plans under “CDOT Item” . Aggregate Base Grading E requires the use of Class 6 Material shown in Table 703‐2 of the SCRs.

b. Subbase, Grading A requires the use of Class 1 Material shown in Table 703‐2 of the SCRs.

28. SCR Section 156.06(i) – construction‐caused delays to public traffic will be longer than the allowed 15 minutes during blasting and rock removal operations. How will FHWA accommodate these longer delays?

a. The contractor may propose alternate delay periods or detour methods in writing to the

CO. Proposals must be approved by the CO in consultation with Rio‐Blanco County.

29. Are asphalt millings allowed in embankment? Could they be utilized for detour all‐weather surface?

a. Asphalt millings can be used as embankment as long as they are buried at least 1’ deep from the exposed face of fill.

b. Asphalt millings are acceptable as a detour surface.

30. Are boulders for energy dissipation incidental to grouted rip rap pay item 25110‐5000?

a. Yes, see notes at the bottom of Plan Sheet 49.

31. Can staging areas be identified?

a. Yes, the happen area within the easements limits of the project can be used and within the ROW of County Road 3 on the west side. See pre‐bid meetings notes.

32. Please identify field lab location and what utilities are available for hook up.

a. Phone and electric utilities exist within the project limits. It is the contractor’s responsibility for coordinating and paying for utility hookups. It is also the responsibility to determine the location of the field lab. Also, the contractor may use a commercial lab for testing as long as results are provided within the time limits required in the contract.

33. On sheet 97; RE: STA. 600+51.71 (Begin Box). Typically precast CBC suppliers do not “skew” ends of the structure. What is the appropriate method? Sawcut the skew and drill/epoxy for reinforcing steel or cast‐in‐place headwall at the “skew”?

a. Precasting the end segment on a skew with protruding rebar is considered to be a standard practice and the preferred method. Although the headwalls and wingwalls for the box will be cast in place and can be done on a skew. Saw‐cut and drill/epoxy will also be an acceptable at no additional cost to the government.

34. Is the project tax‐exempt?

a. No

35. In regards to the Q&A dated 2/24/15 Question #2, the prime contractor is require to perform at least 50% while the remaining 50% is a percentage combination of small business, HUBZone small business, DBE, women‐owned small business, etc. Is that correct?

a. No. The prime must perform 50% of the work. The remaining 50% can be split as the contractor sees fit. If the successful offeror is a large business they will be required to submit a subcontracting plan where the small business goals will be set in coordination with the SBA. See clauses and FAR for subcontracting plan requirements.

b. 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns. (JAN 2011)

c. 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan. (JAN 2011) - Alternate I (OCT

2001)