FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON QUESTION 16.pdf

FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON QUESTION 16:

This past week we’ve discussed by email and by meeting the note on the bid drawings stating that a 1 hour rated fire Barrier would need to be constructed in all rooms which had insufficient barriers in order to remove and replace windows. I’ve also had discussions with Keith Vogt, VHASTL Safety Officer, regarding this issue.

From a Safety standpoint, we do not anticipate any “hot work” to remove windows and therefore fire barriers are not required, also if we give thought to this matter of building a barrier to the deck realize the complexity of constructing a barrier through expected utilities, this is not practical.

From an ICRA standpoint, The ICRA remains a III/IV, this has never been the question. The ICRA does allow the containment to made from plastic which is what this project should be allowed to do.

It was a mistake to allow the requirement of a 1 hour hard barrier to be published within the project drawings and we need to remove this requirement and all associated requirements and re-bid the project.

In light of yesterday’s meeting on the topic of Question No. 16 of the RFI for this project, as well as recent input from VA Infection Prevention and ESH staff, I offer the following observations to shed further light and clarify what I believe may be some misunderstandings with regard to our most recent response:

1) The responses offered to date for Question No. 16 have clearly been interpreted by the bidders as a requirement to erect 1-hr fire rated barriers from slab to slab throughout each room of Building 1 in which a window is being replaced and does not otherwise already have 1-hr fire rated barriers in place. The bidders are estimating, based on their knowledge of the facility, that as many as 20,000 LF of such barriers could be required to be installed to accommodate such a condition during this project. This was never the intention of this project’s design.

2) Conversations with VA ESH staff have indicated that the scope of work being carried out through this project is not likely to present a fire hazard that would otherwise require installation of an additional fire rated barrier beyond what already exists within the facility as it stands today. The A/E design team would agree with this assessment. As such, the A/E design team proposes to respond to Question 16 in such a fashion so as to clearly communicate to bidders that they are not expected to provide barriers to such an extent, and that the only barrier requirements they will be held accountable for are those needed to satisfy existing standard Infection Prevention requirements (see below).

3) To help clarify this situation with respect to what protections are required to satisfy existing ICRA requirements, I have completed and attached a copy of the VA’s ICRA/ILSM Permit Tool with conditions set to worst case (Class D/High Risk) to provide the one and only barrier installation guidance for this project. As you can see from the completed document, none of the following autogenerated requirements require a 1-hr fire rated barrier for ICRA compliance purposes:

a. Execute work by methods to minimize dust dispersal from minor flooring or surface disruptions.

b. For visual inspection only, dampen ceiling tile with water spray before removing.

Replace a ceiling tile immediately after inspection; do not leave unattended.

c. Provide active means to prevent dust from dispersing. Dust left on the floors, clothing and/or body is not allowed in order to prevent spreading and tracking. “Active means” are:

i. Vacuum attachments on tools with HEPA vacuum when generating dust, or

ii. HEPA vacuuming immediately as the dust is generated.

iii. Remove or isolate HVAC system in areas where work is being performed.

iv. Water mist work surfaces to control dust while cutting.

v. Seal unused doors with duct tape.

vi. Block off and seal all HVAC air vents.

vii. Place +tacky mat at inside of entrance of work area and change frequently or when ineffective.

viii. Wet mop and/or vacuum with +HEPA-filtered vacuum the work area before leaving the site. Brooming is not sufficient.

d. Whenever transporting outside of construction site, wipe materials, equipment and work surfaces with EPA registered, unscented +disinfectant, which has manufacturer’s labeling as a bactericide, tuberculocide, virucide, and fungicide.

e. There shall be no standing, uncovered water during construction. This includes water in equipment drip pans and open containers within the construction areas. All accidental spills must be cleaned up and dried within 12 hours. Remove and dispose of porous materials that remain damp for more than 72 hours.

f. Complete all critical barriers, i.e., sheetrock, plywood, plastic, to seal area from non-work area or implement control cube method before construction begins.

g. Maintain Negative Pressure Ventilation (NPV) at 0.01” Water Column (WC) within the work site utilizing NPV machine.

h. NPV monitoring devices should be visible from outside the worksite and readings shall be documented daily or more often as needed. Keep tracking monitoring device and tracking log at outside of entrance at the site.

i. Contain construction waste before transport in tightly covered containers. Tape covering, unless using form-fitting solid lid.

j. Seal holes, pipes, conduits, and punctures.

k. Construct anteroom and require all personnel to pass through this room to be vacuumed using a HEPA vacuum cleaner before leaving work site OR they can wear cloth or paper coveralls that are removed each time they leave the work site.

l. All personnel entering work site are required to wear shoe covers. Shoe covers must be changed each time the worker exits the work area.

4) In light of the above facts, the A/E design team proposes responding to Question 16 of the RFI with the following instructions:

A. When the contractor chooses an asbestos/lead abatement option which calls for erection of critical barriers as part of a fixed (non-mobile) interior standard negative pressure enclosure (containment), the contractor may re-use the same barriers, once cleared by the VPIH for re-occupation, to satisfy their ICRA permit critical barrier requirements.

B. When fixed interior containment options are not employed to address asbestos/lead abatement scope of work (for any reason), the contractor shall erect additional critical barriers in accordance with approved ICRA permit as applicable for the occupied area (requirements vary for Class III and IV areas). More specifically, Requirement No. 6 for Class III work zones requires the contractor to utilize some combination of sheetrock, and/or plywood, and/or plastic to seal the area from non-work areas, OR simply implement a “control cube” method to satisfy ICRA barrier requirements before beginning construction work. The A/E design team suggests that a “control cube” method would consist of some combination of the following:

a. Establish a 6-mil layer of fire retardant poly sheeting along each non-window wall (but sealed to window wall) to serve as critical barrier horizontally

b. Establish a 6-mil layer of fire retardant poly sheeting along ceiling to serve as critical barrier vertically

c. Establish a 6-mil layer of fire retardant poly sheeting along floor to serve as critical barrier vertically

d. Poly sheeting joints shall be sealed such that negative pressure requirements can be maintained at all times (see ICRA permit Requirement No. 7 for Class III zones)

e. Poly sheeting used for “control cube” method may be re-used throughout the project unless it has been exposed to asbestos/lead removal processes

C. It is not the Government’s intent for any of the above ICRA barrier requirements to include a hard wall system (fire rated or otherwise) to be erected unless otherwise specified within the approved ICRA permit for work area boundaries shared with public or patient areas (i.e. a dividing wall does not otherwise exist between work area and patient/public areas).