Q and A.pdf

Q&A for FA930226Q0075 Sound Test STC 50

1. Will building plans or floor plans for Buildings 1870A and 4906A be provided? Without plans, it is difficult to accurately determine the required testing effort and develop a firm-fixed price.

Acoustic testing costs are typically based on the number of test points required, which can vary depending on wall lengths, room sizes, doors and door frames, openings, penetrations, and unique wall or assembly types.

• Yes, Plans will be submitted if needed. We are looking at approx.. 38 Test Points

2. If the drawings are controlled at the CUI level, STC is prepared to provide documentation of our CMMC Level 2 certification and comply with the applicable handling requirements.

• N/A

3. If the drawings cannot be released, would the Government allow a site visit before the proposal deadline so offerors can evaluate the anticipated number and types of test locations?

• N/A

4. If a site visit is permitted, would the Government consider extending the proposal due date to allow sufficient time to complete the site visit and prepare an accurate quotation?

• On a strict timeline

5. Does the Government have an anticipated number of test points for each building, or does it expect the contractor to determine a representative testing plan based on the unique wall, door, penetration, and assembly types found within each facility?

• Bldg 1870A - Approx. 38 Test Points

• Bldg 4906A – Approx. 25 Test Points

5. The Statement of Work specifies Sound Transmission Class (STC) requirements and cites ICD 705 Chapter 9. Field testing under ASTM E336 produces field ratings such as NIC and ASTC rather than laboratory STC values. Should offerors report results as NIC, ASTC, or both, and should compliance be evaluated using the applicable ICD 705 field acceptance criteria?

• Government Response:

6. ASTM E336 is a room-to-room partition test method and is not suited to assigning performance ratings to individual doors, door frames, or small penetrations in isolation. The Statement of Work directs measurement of all relevant perimeter walls, interior walls, doors, door frames, and other penetrations or openings. Should doors, frames, and penetrations be evaluated as transmission paths within the overall partition testing methodology, or does the Government require separate element-level performance ratings?

• Government Response: Doors, frames, all perimeter walls and openings (air returns, windows, etc.) should be evaluated as transmission paths within the overall partition testing methodology. We have no further requirement for separate element level performance testing.

7. Will sound masking systems or any other electronic countermeasures be present within either facility during testing? If so, should those systems remain operational during testing, or should they be disabled while acoustic measurements are performed?

• Government Response: Initial measurements will be conducted without any sound mitigation or masking equipment turned on.

8. For pricing purposes, can the Government identify the total number of room pairs, partitions, or test locations anticipated within the scope of each facility? If exact locations cannot be provided, will the Government provide an estimated quantity of required test positions?

• Government Response: All perimeter walls and openings (air returns, windows, etc.) shall be tested along multiple points to ensure that either Sound group 3 or 4 is met. Bldg 1870A - Approx. 38 Test Points and Bldg 4906A – Approx. 25 Test Points

9. Will the Government provide access to both the source-side and receiving-side of every tested assembly, including adjoining spaces located outside the secure area where applicable?

• Government Response: Yes. USG will have access to both sides of the proposed test locations.

10. What one-third octave frequency range is required for the acoustic measurements and the final report?

• Government Response: 100hz to 4kHz in 1/3 octave increments

11. The Statement of Work states that follow-up testing may be requested under an option if corrective measures cannot be completed during the initial site visit. Should offerors provide pricing only for the initial testing under the existing CLINs, or should pricing also include the potential follow-up testing option? If the latter, will a separate option CLIN be added by amendment?

• Government Response: Pricing can include mobilization for a follow-on test (if required) but the government requests this reflected separately in the estimate. The government expects that the nature of follow-on testing would be to validate discrepant areas that couldn’t be addressed and fixed during the first iteration of measurements. USG expects estimates to reflect such assumption.

12. The Statement of Work requires the contractor to provide an on-site oral briefing of favorable or non-favorable results. Will Government personnel with authority to direct immediate corrective actions be available during testing to receive the briefing and make remediation decisions while the contractor remains on site?

• Government Response: Yes. The Government will provide on-site technical and managerial representation during the sound testing phase, including Project Management, Physical Security, and Facilities engineering disciplines.

• To maximize efficiency and prevent the need for redundant follow-on measurements, our on-site team will actively collaborate with the contractor to authorize and facilitate immediate, minor corrective actions within our scope of authority.

• Please note that any significant remedial actions requiring structural, baseline, or contractual modifications will necessitate a formal remediation plan and subsequent approval from the Authorizing Official (AO) and the Contractor prior to execution.

13. Are contractor acoustic test instruments, loudspeakers, amplifiers, laptops, and associated data acquisition equipment authorized for use within the facilities? If restrictions apply, please identify any limitations regarding electronic equipment or removable media.

• Government Response: Necessary test equipment is allowed. Prior coordination with site security will be required. The contractor will be required to provide a list of equipment (model and serial) for review and approval.

14. The Statement of Work identifies normal workdays as Monday through Friday but also states that testing is contingent upon aircraft operations and ambient environmental noise. Will after-hours or weekend access be available if necessary to obtain valid acoustic measurements?

• Government Response: Yes. After hours and/or weekends can be considered barring the estimate for requested support doesn’t change the labor cost on the estimate. Security requests to be notified weeks prior to support.

15. Will testing occur while the facilities are operational, or will the spaces be made available in an unoccupied or otherwise controlled condition to minimize background noise?

• Government Response: The facilities will not be operational; they will be unoccupied with controllable noise conditions within our control (aside from aircraft taxiing or flying by).

16. Is the Government's intent for both facilities to be tested during a single mobilization?

• Government Response: Readiness to test between the two facilities may not align perfectly. Consider having to test each facility on separate days within the 30-day PoP.

17. Beyond the stated 30-calendar-day period of performance, does the Government have a preferred sequencing or completion timeframe that offerors should consider when developing their schedules?

• Government Response: The government will likely be ready to test Bldg. 1870A first due to a sooner operational need date.

18. Does the Government require the final test report to follow a specific format or template? If so, will a template be provided? Additionally, are there any specific marking, handling, or transmission requirements applicable to the final report?

• Government Response: The government does not require a specific template;

however, you must explicitly include two core components: the certified test results and physical layout showing the Sound Transmission Class rating points.

19. Beyond documenting findings, test data, locations, methods, and equipment, should the final report include recommended corrective actions for any non-conforming assemblies, or should the report be limited to documenting conformance with the applicable ICD 705 acoustic requirements?

• Government Response: The report may include recommended corrective action for any non-conforming assemblies.

20. The Statement of Requirements references ASTM E90, ASTM E336, ASTM E1408, and ASTM E413. Since ASTM E90 is a laboratory test method while ASTM E336 is a field test method, should offerors base field testing solely upon ASTM E336 with ratings determined in accordance with ASTM E413, or does the Government expect any additional deliverable associated with

ASTM E90?

• Government Response: ASTM: E 336-20, ASTM-E413-87 and ICD 705-1.5.1

21. Does the Government require the final report to be signed or sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer, or by personnel possessing a specific acoustic testing certification or qualification?

• Government Response: Yes, the person must be certified, only those with training in audio testing techniques shall conduct instrumental acoustic tests. The signature/seal must be accompanied by a statement certifying that the test was performed in accordance with applicable ASTM E336-23.

22. Is CMMC certification required to bid?

• Yes, CMMC certification is required.

23. Since the fee depends on the quantity of tests, are you able to share building plans showing the secure boundary/perimeter, or the total quantity of walls and doors to be tested for compliance with ICD 705?

• Construction Plans will be provided to contractor at when contract is awarded.

• Bldg. 1870A - ~38 Test Points (Hangar doors, 7 personnel doors, 1 vehicle door, North Wall, East Wall, West Wall)

• Bldg. 4906A - ~25 Test Points (Hangar doors, 5 personnel doors, 1 vehicle door, North Wall, East Wall, West Wall)

24. Since the buildings are located on or near the flightline, can the Government provide any information regarding expected aircraft activity around Buildings 1870A and 4906A during the testing period, including typical operating windows, anticipated noise levels, or whether quiet testing windows will be coordinated for the contractor?

• The facilities will not be operational; they will be unoccupied with controllable noise conditions within our control (aside from aircraft taxiing or flying by).

25. Please also confirm the intended direction and purpose of the acoustic testing. Is the Government primarily looking to verify sound isolation from the interior protected areas to the exterior, from exterior areas into the facility, between interior rooms/spaces, or all applicable conditions required under ICD 705?

• From the interior protected areas to the exterior

26. Please confirm whether Buildings 1870A and 4906A are currently occupied. If they are occupied, will the spaces be emptied or made fully accessible during contract performance, and will furniture, equipment, personnel, and operational activity be cleared or controlled during testing?

• Buildings are not occupied and are free of furniture, equipment, etc.

27. Finally, please clarify whether the Government is requesting field acoustic testing of the installed building assemblies, or whether any laboratory-based STC testing is required. Since STC is commonly associated with laboratory-rated assemblies, we want to confirm whether the Government expects the contractor to report field-measured acoustic performance in accordance with the applicable ASTM/ICD 705 methodology, rather than laboratory testing of isolated components.

• Both. NIC results shall comply with NIC 40 for Sound Group 3 (STC 45 or better) and NIC 45 for Sound Group 4 (STC 50 or better). ASTC 45 or 50.

28. Are drawings, floor plans, or any available layout documents for Buildings 1870A and 4906A available for our review? It would also be helpful to understand the anticipated quantity of test locations that should be included in our proposal, or whether the Government expects the contractor to determine the required test locations during performance.

• Yes, drawings are available and will be provided upon contract award.

29. Since acoustic testing fees are generally based on the number of test locations, can the Government provide an anticipated quantity of test locations to be included for each building, or a test matrix identifying the locations to be tested? If this information is not available, please confirm whether offerors should determine the required number of test locations based on the drawings and Performance Work Statements.

• a. Bldg. 1870A Estimated 38 Test Points, Bldg.

• b. 4906A Estimated 25 Test Points

30. Additionally, please confirm whether ICD 705 Version 1.5, dated March 13, 2020, is the version that should be used for this study.

• ICD 705 Version 1.5.1 dated July 26, 2021

31. Shall the testing be performed according to field test requirements stated in ICD 705, Chapter 9 for instrumented field validation testing (ASTM E336 field noise reduction testing with NIC Rating)? Basically, the SOW says “STC” everywhere, which is a laboratory test according to ASTM E90. I believe they are looking for field testing (NIC) according to ASTM E336. This is exactly in accordance with ICD 705, chapter 9, which is also cited. The mix-up of STC (lab) and NIC (field) is very common on these projects.

• ASTM: E 336-23 Standard Test Method for Measurement of Airborne Sound Insulation in Buildings. in tandem with ASTM E413-87. Shall provide a valid STC rating number at all the points tested. The NIC test may be used as an alternative as stated in ICD 705. g) As an alternative, instrumented testing may be performed to Noise Isolation Class (NIC) standards. Results shall comply with NIC 40 for Sound Group 3 and NIC 45 for Sound Group 4