Taxiway Lights QA.doc

Questions and Answers

FA4600-09-B-0008

Repair Taxiway Lighting Site visit Questions & Answers (Updated 3 June 2009)

1. The FAA circulars call out that the area 200 feet from the centerline of a runway and 87.5 feet from the centerline of a taxiway is a safety zone and construction can not take place unless a NOTAME is issued closing the runway or taxiway. What is the plan for closing the runway and taxiway during construction and the amount of time scheduled for closings? What type of barricades will be needed?

Individual taxiways can be closed without impacting airport operations, coordinate temporary closure with contracting officers representative. Coordinate with contracting officers representative and base operations for specific instructions when working within the 200 foot safety zone near the runway. Anytime the contractor has vehicles in the vicinity of the runway or taxiways the contractor must have in his presence a representative of the contracting officer who is in contact with the tower. The contractor will be required to move vehicles upon notice from the tower. Coordinate barricade lighting requirements and height with the contracting officer's representative and base operations.

2. General note “D” on sheet 3 indicates that taxiway lights are to remain working at all times. How many lights can be taken out of service at any one time?

There is no limit to the quantity of edge lights that can be taken out of service at a time assuming they are replaced with temporary lights. The contractor may at his option adapt new or removed edge lights as temporary lights by providing stanchions and a method of securing edge lights and associated temporary power cable. Contractor shall coordinate placement of temporary lights and securing lights and cable with the contracting officers representative.

3. Taxiway signage is on the same circuits as the taxiway lights, this signage is not shown therefore will not have power to them. Please advise.

Issues can be worked out during construction. We will work with Airfield management to mitigate the down time.

4. Can anyone tell us contractors how they propose to keep the existing edge lights lit, from dawn to dusk, considering we must cut and remove the existing asphalt / concrete and install the new lights in the same spot.

See plans on sheet 9 of 10. Any number of lights can be taken out at a time as long as an equal number of temporary is provided for active use.

5. Can the new edge lights be installed close to the existing edge lights, to be replaced, to allow installation prior to removal of existing. This would allow to get the new lights in place, cut them over and then remove the existing edge lights This seems possible as long as the distance criteria from the edge of the pavement is met.

6. Will there be a place on base to store tractors and materials?

There will be a place somewhere at Offutt AFB to store materials in tractor trailers. Perhaps given the timing in might be near the active part of the runway near a building. This will be worked out after contract award at the preconstruction meeting

7. Will an in house engineer certify our as built plans as we lay new conduit or do we need to hire an out of house firm?

Will have a contracting officer representative working with the contractor each day. He can take the proposed plans back to the engineer for approval or make it a submittal for official approval.

8. During on site meeting, your current lighting contractor made a comment about not daisy chaining fixtures out in green way, They had mentioned running conduits in line with lighting fixtures, This would require a massive amount of concrete cutting.

Follow the plans and specifications. If boring the conduit can be done so to allow aligning the conduit run between fixtures at no additional cost then it can be worked as a field change.

9. During walk-thru your on site lighting contractor had mentioned that several lights are not lined up properly and need to be straight. The print says the lights need to go back in place where the old lights are located. This needs to be addressed.

Follow the plans and specifications. Anything differing from this will result in a change and possible cost additive.

10. “Charliepapa south run up” currently has the new style led lighting on south edge. During demo are we saving those fixtures and just purchasing the cans or are they going to be all new fixtures.

Follow the plans and specifications. The government may have a spot pilot program going to see if the fixtures work.

11. Are we responsibe for disposal of all fixtures?

Disposed material become the property of the contractor unless otherwise designated for salvage. Disposal will be off the confines of Offutt AFB. See Section 1 for disposal documentation requirements.

12. Do you have any recommend testing agency for the needed tests on the new install. Example: compaction tests, voltage loss thru jacket test?

Follow the plans and specifications.

13. Is there a recommended number of electricians you would like to see on the job for the day to day tasks.

It is up to the contractor to determine the necessary number of electricians to complete the job in the specified period of time. Any number of fixtures can be taken pout at one time as long as an equal number of temporary lights is provided to allow use of the taxiway.

14. Do the lights have to go back exactly in the same location?

Yes

15. Do the holes in the concrete due to demolition of the lights have to be covered each night? If so what are the means to be used?

If the adjacent taxiway/runway is active than yes they have to be covered. Prior permission in writing must be received from the contracting officer to deviate from this direction. The method must be coordinated with Base Operations through the contracting officer's representative.

16. During a conversation with the airfield maintenance crew it was said that there should be a return wire at every light location. The print does not show this. Are we to bid this project this way?

If what you are referring to is an equipment grounding conductor the plans indicate a #6 green copper equipment conductor in all conduits. This wire is to be connected to each transformer enclosure (light can). See electrical keynote 3 on sheets 6, 7, and 8, and light details on sheet 9 and specification section 16511.

17. The airfield maintenance crew also expressed that they would like to have the conduits for each can to come into one side and exit 180 deg. out of the opposite side. The print shows trenching in the grass areas and boring at a 90 deg. angle to the can with both conduits entering the same side. Are we to bid this project as the print shows or as the user requested? (There will have to be a considerable amount of concrete cutting and removal to install the lighting as the maintenance crew suggested) The project shall be bid as shown on the contract documents.

18. The airfield maintenance crew showed us some signs that were also on the taxiway circuits. Will there be a new plan showing these signs and their locations?

The designer was not aware of any signage connected to the taxiway circuit. This will have to be handled in the field after award.

19. During the job walk a light junction box was opened and seemed to reveal that there are more than the taxiway circuits running through them. Will the maintenance crew be able to confirm or deny this? If it is found to be true will there be drawings to show us the current circuit arrangement as well as if we are to still remove these vaults or leave them in place?

The contract drawings only address show only single circuits routed through the transformer housings. Multiple circuits will only be allowed in manholes. Coordinate removal and reinstallation as required to maintain operation of all taxiway edge lights from dusk to dawn.

20. The print asks us to bore the counterpoise 6" above the conduit ducts. This puts the counterpoise into the concrete above if we are to keep the spacing required by the print. Are we to drill the concrete to maintain the spacing?

Lower the ducts as required to the counterpoise conductor csan be routed below paving. Provide similar to the cable pull box detail shown on sheet 9.

21. The wage determination is for the wrong construction type. It should be for heavy and/or highway, not building type.

The Contracting Officer has agreed with this determination and an amendment has been posted reflecting the change from the wage determination category of “Building” to “Heavy and Highway.”

22. The wage determination does not contain a classification for Saw Operators, which will be the predominant trade on the project after electricians.

The wage determination for “Heavy and Highway” now includes this category.

23. The wage determination has a direct conflict on page 4 for a power equipment operator loader rate of $12.43 + .04 which directly conflicts with the power equipment operator rates on page 2 for group 3 loader operators of $23.85 + 7.75.

See the wage determination for “Heavy and Highway.”

24. The Q & A's, item 15. asked a specific question about covering of the holes at the end of each day. The specific requirement needs to be addressed. Do the holes simply need a plywood cover for general safety or is a heavy structural cover capable of supporting some unknown weight of aircraft required? (This could be a huge requirement and cost impact depending on the actual requirement, which is unkn own to us at this point.)

The option is the vendors. The plan was to install the new in place of the old. The vendors need to bid the plan as designed.

Base Operations will have the final say on this. Our designer thinks general safety is all that is required. If a shutdown of the taxiway could be arranged with base operations for 3-5 days, then the area could be completed with no concerns other than general safety.