S05 Questions Answered.pdf

Solicitation Questions and Answers

# SOW

Reference Question Answer

1. Does the VA plan to drain and bring the tower out of service prior to work commencing?

1.a If yes, will the responsibility fall on the VA to Drain the tower and bring it out of service?

1.b If yes, will the responsibility fall on the VA to Refill and bring the tower back into service?

1.c While the tower is out of service, will the VA be responsible for maintaining water pressure to the facility?

Yes.

1.a. Yes.

1.b. Yes.

1.c. Yes.

2. Will the VA be responsible for any testing of water quality?

If there ends up being any interior work due to contractor means and methods, or damage caused by contractor. The contractor will have a 3rd party, test the water before Water Tower is brought back online. If no work is needed inside the Water Tower; VA will have 3rd party test the water.

3. Does the VA have a specific coating system in mind for the paint? Acrylic, urethane, etc?

See Section 099659 Resinous Specialty Glazed Coating Systems.

4. Does the VA want the entire tower abrasive-blasted or just certain portions?

See question 14.

5. Does the VA expect this project to be awarded and completed before fall/winter 2025?

Yes.

6.a. Yes.

6. Must a Site Superintendent be on site at all times work is commencing?

6a. If yes, Does the Site Superintendent have to be directly employed by the Prime Contractor?

Yes, Site superintendent must be on site and dedicated to just this project.

6a. Yes, Site superintendent must be employed by Prime Contractor.

7. Must a Site Safety Health Officer be on site at all times work is commencing?

7a. If yes, Does the SSHO have to be directly employed by the Prime Contractor?

Yes, Site Safety Health Officer must be on site and dedicated to just this project.

7a. Yes, Site Safety Health Officer must be employed by Prime Contractor.

8. Can the SSHO & Superintendent roles be a dual-hatted individual or must they be two separate people?

Yes, it can be dual-hatted individual and dedicated to just this project will be employed by the Prime Contractor.

9. Does the VA request specific anchoring for the containment system?

The ground anchoring must be adapted to the terrain.

10. Can the Temporary Fence be sandbagged, or do they need to be pounded into the asphalt?

Temporary security fence can be weighted down with sandbags to keep fence in place to prevent unauthorize VA staff or any guests from entering job site.

11. Can the VA provide a rough linear footage of the desired laydown area?

As per VA drawings Approximately 350’. Size of staging area will change to accommodate crane when on site. Staging area with crane on site will allow adjacent buildings to be accessible for daily usage, and emergency access and egress.

12. The General Notes in the drawings call for sod replacement, however, the entire project appears to be upon concrete and asphalt surfaces.

Please advise where there is a need for sod replacement.

No sod on this project. Just land scaping rock at the base and paved areas. If contractor causes damage or the contractor’s means and methods causes damage to anything they are responsible for repairing.

13. Will a contractor laydown/staging area be provided other than what is shown directly at the water tower site?

They’re concerns for VA parking and traffic usage space

The Staging area shown on page A1 of drawing set was requested as per ST. Cloud VA management.

Access to Buildings 14, 30, 37, 54, & 69 is a must. Access to these spaces will at times include trucks and trailers entering and leaving said buildings. If there is a temporary impact to those buildings proper notice will be required. If more space for staging is needed;

a space in the Contractor Parking lot can be assigned to the Contractor for the duration of project. Crane work is expected to change fenced in area at the base of tower when crane is needed.

Contractor is to provide “crane” pick plan with proper notice in order, for the VA to notify effected departments and staff.

14. Please confirm the scope of exterior preparation required. During the site visit, the VA indicated that full prep of the entire surface is desired.

The exterior of water tower to have new paint applied. To achieve this removal of rust and treating existing paint to receive new paint.

New paint to be a smooth and even white with four (4) blue “VA” (one on each compass point on the tank).

As per Atch B – STC VA Construction Standards; Line 131:

SPRAY APPLICATION NOT

ALLOWED.

15. Please confirm that this is only exterior prep and paint. No interior work is required within the water tower.

At this time; no interior work. If contractor’s “means and methods” causes damage to interior finish;

contractor is to repair damage they cause as they would with any contact. If the “means and methods” to contain the work area involves mounting something to the water tower; the tower will need to be reinforced, and then would require interior work and repair.

Any reinforcing would require structural engineer approval provided by Prime Contractor.

16. Will the tower be drained down during construction?

At this time; water tower will be drained to allow for sand blasting and for paint to bond properly.

As per Atch B – STC VA Construction Standards; Line 131:

SPRAY APPLICATION NOT

ALLOWED.

17. See attached laydown request. (see PDF 20250415101723.pdf)

See question 13.

18. What are the prevailing wage rates, usually Heavy Highway not building?

Building. See General Decision Number:

MN20250099 02/07/2025

State: Minnesota Construction Type: Building County: Stearns County in Minnesota

19. What is the coating system they would like to use, Zinc, Epoxy, Urethane, or Zinc, Urethane, Hydroflon KLM can make recommendations or spec info ?

See question 3.

20. With the interior rafter install they should reference something rafter size ½” x 8” FB 48’ long, 8 feet apart, parallel with drawing. (see PDF 20250415101723.pdf)

See question 15.

21. They might want to make a reference to car covers to be provided by GC to VA parking lot patrons that park within 150’ of tank to use as they see fit if the lot is to remain open during construction.

Contractor provided containment system will protect parked cars.

As per Atch B – STC VA Construction Standards; Line 131:

SPRAY APPLICATION NOT

ALLOWED.

22. Can the exterior ladder cage be removed and disposed of as OSHA no

The VA requires redundant safety system.

longer requires with existing safety climb?

23. They reference spot sandblast on Scope of work phase Base Project:

Interior wet touch up of weld damage coating system and requirements.

See question 14.

24. Will there be a specified coating system for the project? High performance coatings are more expensive, last longer. Not having a specified coating system makes the bidding process vague and potentially gives the Owner a subpar coating system if only "low number" is considered.

See question 3.

25. Containment needs to be mandatory or not required. If the exterior of the tower is to be sandblasted to a Near White SSPC-SP10 level of cleanliness, containment is mandatory. Please advise if this is going to be the case or if some other form of preparation is acceptable.

In an effort to contain paint being removed; Containment will be required during paint removal. Style of containment is a means and methods of the Contractor.

26. FYI -

-the containment "plan" should require an engineer's stamp of approval for wind load, anchorage etc.

• typical exterior water tower coating systems will have the following:

• zinc rich primer (2.5-3.5 mils dry film thickness (DFT))

• 1 coat of epoxy (4-6 mils DFT)

• 1 coat of urethane (2-3 mils

DFT)

• **longest lasting coating system will contain a fluoropolymer finish coat (2-3 mils DFT)

• the tank will need to be out of service (drained) for the duration of this project........if not drained, the cold water will cause the exterior to "sweat" and you cannot sandblast or apply coatings when the steel substrate is wet

See questions 3, 15, & 16.

27. Does the VA have an anticipated timeline to provide answers to all RFI questions?

Answers posted on 4/23/2025

28. Spec 01 00 00, 1.2, Please confirm that project management, supervision and related expenses are

Yes, All Site supervision and related expenses are for full duration of the contract by Prime

I, 1, E required for the full duration of the contract.

Contractor.

29. Spec 01 00 00, 1.20

Please confirm that photographs should be taken by a Professional Photographer or can pictures be taken by the prime superintendent?

Photos can be taken by Prime Supertendent; provided the camera meets the requirements as per Section 010000, General Requirement; 1.20 Final Elevation Digital Images. Photos to be submitted on a CD.

30. Spec 01 35 26, 1.9

Please confirm that the SSHO should have ‘no other duties’ or can the SSHO dual hat and fulfill the prime superintendent and CQC manager roles?

See question 8.

31.

Spec 09 86 00, 1.6

Please confirm if soil sampling for lead is required for this project. If so, how many pre and post samples are required?

Soil sampling for Lead is not required.

32. Spec 09 86 00, 3.3,G

Please confirm if sampling and testing of paint blasting residuals is required for this project.

If contractor’s means and methods involves working inside Water Tower, sampling will require before project starts and before Water Tower is brought back online.

33. Spec 09 86 3.1,D, 2

Please verify if third party environmental monitoring is required.

A third-party environmental monitor is to be provided by Prime Contractor.