Scope of Work - Replace Main Switchgear.doc

VA MEDICAL CENTER

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT 05009

A/E SCOPE OF WORK

Replace Main Switchgear Project: 405-21-002

SCIP: VHA-405-2019-35769

1. GENERAL:

Provide Architect/Engineer services to include schematic design, design development, construction documents, cost estimates, construction period services, site visits and Commissioning to completely replace and upgrade the 12.5 KV Main Switchgear for the White River Junction VA Medical Center. Replacement will include a new building and review/upgrade of automatic controls.

2. PROJECT SCOPE OF WORK:

Architect/engineer (A/E) services are required to design and prepare all required documentation including schematics, design development, construction documents, cost estimating, construction period services, third-party commissioning, and site visits for a project consisting of the following elements:

a. Replace the existing 12.5 KV main switchgear, to include vacuum breakers on each circuit and on a new tie breaker. Provide for a future second utility campus feed and for future campus growth.

b. Design a new structure to house the new equipment, to include environment conditioning, adequate access for personnel to access, operate and maintain the switchgear, controls, and metering. Design shall conform to available construction budget. Design shall be a fully functional system and shall recognize that reliable electrical service must be continuously maintained during the entire construction period of this project.

c. A/E shall subcontract full project commissioning services to a firm acceptable to the VA COR. Scope of such services to be specified within the A/E design documents.

d. Final 100% construction drawings to be delivered within 120 days of the Notice to Proceed date.

3. COST ESTIMATING REQUIREMENTS:

a.

Prepare Cost Estimates in the appropriate level of detail for each submittal in accordance with the Manual for Preparation of Cost Estimates on VA Facilities Management Web site at http://www.va.gov/facmgt/cost-estimating/

b. The A/E shall develop a detailed construction cost estimate for each project element, which will be developed simultaneously with each stage of the design and shall be submitted at each stage of the review process. The construction cost estimate shall reflect the expected construction cost and construction time for all work as soon as that work is identified, and a reasonable approximation of the required details can be arrived at.

c.

The cost estimate shall be broken down into labor, material and equipment costs for work required by the major disciplines, i.e., Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, and Electrical. The work grouped under each major discipline shall be placed into the appropriate format. Cost estimates shall assume the use of Davis Bacon wages as applicable for the local area.

d.

Each sub-component of an assembly must be identified separately and R. S. Means or an approved equivalent shall be the basis for the cost estimate.

e.

As the various factors involved in construction estimating can change rapidly, it is required that the A/E develop the estimate using an Excel spreadsheet that can easily accommodate these changes. The A/E will determine actual local overhead and profit mark-ups in collaboration with the Contracting Officer Representative. These factors shall be presented in the following manner: The overhead and profit will be carried in separate columns together with each line-item (by means of embedded formula in the spreadsheet version and therefore adjustable as the need arises) and therefore will carry across to the totals column to be included in the "Grand Total". Therefore, the "Grand Total” number should reflect the anticipated low bid from a qualified service disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) general contractor.

4. PLANNING INFORMATION AND STANDARDS:

a.

The applicable portions of Government criteria in conjunction with industry standards shall govern the design and preparation of contract drawings, specifications, cost estimate, and design analysis. Emphasis is placed on the following documents that establish minimum requirements. This includes the following:

1. VA Design Guides*

2. VA Design Manuals*, including the Physical Security Design Manual

3. United States National CAD Standard Details*

4. VHA National CAD Standard Application Guide*

5. VHA Program Guide 18-3, Design and Construction Procedures*

6. VA Manual for Preparation of Cost Estimates for Hospital Projects*

7. Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, latest edition published by the American Institute of Architects

8. VA Sustainable Design Manual, May 2014

* These documents are available at http://www.cfm.va.gov b.

Utilize the latest issue of VA Master Construction Specifications, updating and modifying where applicable. Advise COR and obtain concurrence for of all proposed modifications or revisions to VA Master Construction Specifications. VA Master Specifications can be found on the VA Facilities Management Web site – http://www.cfm.va.gov c.

The A/E shall obtain all data necessary to prepare the design documents required. The A/E shall confirm all existing conditions and field verify the as-built drawings provided by the VA. The A/E is wholly responsible for both the accuracy and the level of completeness of the final product and failure to verify information is not acceptable. A/E shall coordinate the design with representatives of the local utility. Information (drawings and other documentation) provided to the A/E by the VA or any other government source shall be used for reference only.

5. MEETINGS:

The A/E shall attend meetings at the time and place requested by the Contracting Officer or his Representative. Minutes of the meetings shall be taken by the A/E and submitted to the Contracting Officer or his Representative. Meetings shall include the following:

a.

Pre-Design Meetings - The A/E shall meet with the Contracting Officer and/or his representative (from Facilities Management Service), and, if applicable, the using service's representative(s), to develop project requirements and to clarify the scope of work. A multi-disciplinary team will be established by the COR for this.

b.

Design Review Meetings -The A/E shall attend meetings with the Contracting Officer and/or his Representative (from Facilities Management Service), during field investigations and for review conferences as needed to advance progress of the work. As a minimum, attend one review conference (may be virtual at the discretion of the CO) after each submission of the project design documents.

6. DESIGN SITE VISITS:

The A/E shall visit the proposed project sites to obtain the details and specifics of the relevant existing field conditions in order to fully complete the work of this project without omission. Such visits shall include a thorough non-destructive inspection of normally enclosed or inaccessible areas such as spaces above the ceilings, within walls or chases, in pipe crawl spaces, and in or under basement floors. Where necessary, A/E shall arrange to examine the interior or hidden conditions to provide complete drawings. Arrangements for visits to make inspections should be made by contacting the COR, at least 48 hours before the visit. The A/E shall be responsible for locating existing as built drawings and copying as needed. The A/E shall be responsible for field locating existing facilities and underground conduit.

7. ANSWERING INQUIRIES AND ISSUING AMENDMENTS:

The A/E shall provide prompt answers and recommendations to inquiries made by the Government. As needed, the A/E shall issue design amendments, including independent cost estimates, to the project documents to clarify the documents and resolve questions.

8. FIRE CODE REVIEWS

The VA COR will arrange for a fire code review at appropriate project submissions. A/E shall cooperate in these reviews to answer questions and modify plans and specs to conform with the official fire code review. Such review shall be performed by a qualified individual who is knowledgeable of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Fire Codes, of sprinkler system requirements, of fire alarm system requirements, of Life Safety Code requirements, and of VA referenced fire codes and standards. Such reviews shall be documented in writing and shall be conducted to ensure compliance with applicable fire codes and standards. The qualified reviewer shall provide written certification with the final construction documents that the project documents conform to applicable fire codes and standards.

9. QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL

The A/E is responsible for the quality of the project design. The A/E shall develop, execute, and demonstrate that the project plans and specifications have gone through a rigorous review and coordination effort. Submit a detailed QA/QC Plan describing each step that will be taken during the development of the various phases of design. The A/E shall include all sub-consultants in the QA/QC Plan. The plan shall include a process where a senior member of the firm verifies compliance with all elements of the firm’s QA/QC Plan.

10. COMMISSIONING:

The A/E shall subcontract project commissioning services to a third party. Such a commissioning agent (CxA) shall be approved by the VA COR. The CxA shall be involved in preliminary planning and design and through construction, completion and acceptance, and startup. CxA shall report equally and simultaneously to the VA and A/E.

11. DESIGN SUBMISSIONS:

The A/E shall retain file copies of all items forwarded to the Contracting Officer or his Representative under various design review submissions. Intent of such a requirement is to save time by resolving questions over the telephone, to ensure that copies are available in the event of loss or damage to the originals during reproduction, and to facilitate rework of documents for amendments made necessary by discovery of problems during later stages of project development. All submissions (drawings, specifications, cost estimates, design analysis, etc.) shall be legibly identified as the percent (%) of design submission. Each submission shall incorporate the comments made by the VA at the prior review stage.

a.

Design Analysis (Basis of Design): Provide a design analysis, in letter size format, bound together, and divided into appropriate sections by design discipline. Each design analysis shall describe in detail (with all assumptions specifically identified), (1) the scope of work (as the A/E understands it) with the specific objectives of the project, (2) the applicable Federal, State and Local regulations, codes and standards, with distinction made as to which reviews, approvals and permits are required during the design stage, and which are required before, during and after the construction stage, (3) any preliminary design calculations prepared by each design discipline (architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and others as necessary), (4) reports of site visits, (5) meeting minutes, (6) results of assessments and evaluations of alternative designs, and (7) all other relevant data. The design analysis shall be updated through each stage of submission and must reflect any changes in the development of the scope of work due to review comments, formal changes to the contract, or any other communication (written or oral) between the VA and the A/E.

b.

Drawings: Drawings shall be prepared in accordance with United States National CAD Standard and VHA Program Guide 18-15, VHA National CAD Standard Application Guide. Electronic version of drawings shall be submitted in AutoCAD (.dwg) and Portable Document Format (.pdf). Final drawings shall be plotted in ink on 30" x 42" polyester film sheets. Sepias are not acceptable as original drawings. Final drawings submitted by the A/E shall be originals, shall be the result of A/E field investigation, and shall not be direct takeoffs or tracings of any drawing provided as information.

Drawings shall be independent for architectural, mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, and any other design disciplines for the project, and shall show, on separate views required demolition and reconstruction details for each function Drawings shall be done in plan view at a minimum scale of 1/8" = 1 '0", where necessary, and generally 1/4" = 1'0" or larger when possible to fit on sheet. Details shall have a minimum scale of 1/4" = 1'0", and if possible, it is preferred larger. All details, title blocks, base plans, etc., shall be drawn as "XREFS" bound to the drawing for submission purposes and final issue only.

Final drawings shall bear the VA title block and nomenclature on polyester sheets as are the examples available on the VA standards website. All drawings in a project set shall be on the same type and size sheets. All drawings are required to show existing conditions as of the date of the design submission.

All contract drawings shall be produced with a view to enable the use of half-size reductions. Pertinent criteria to assure this result are as follows:

a. Drawings shall provide uniform photographic quality.

b. Minimum lettering height shall be not less than 1/8 inch.

c. Legends and symbols as well as size, spacing and location of notes, dimensions, etc. shall be such as to produce legible half-size reproductions.

d. No lettering, shading or marking on the reverse side is acceptable.

e. Clearly distinguish between new work and existing work.

f. Graphic scales shall be provided on all drawings.

c.

Specifications: Provide complete project specifications, to include all sections of Master Construction Specifications, Master Form 2004 that, in the opinion of the A/E, are necessary to properly and adequately construct the project by a construction contractor. Specifications shall be prepared in MS Word format and PDF format. The A/E shall review and edit the applicable sections of the specifications as to completeness, relevance, and correctness. Delete references to industry standards and to other specification sections that do not apply to this project. Provide proper cross-references to other specifications that apply to the work. The intent is to provide specifications that are suitable for the project intention and detailed enough to enable the contractor to perform the work in the best and most cost-effective manner possible. It is equally important that the A/E "edit out" portions of the specifications that add additional cost to the project without additional value or quality. Not every portion of the master specification is appropriate to this project. Where choice of items is referenced in the specification section, the A/E shall consult with VAMC Facilities Management Service for direction on which option to select. The contractor shall not be provided options or choices to select from but must be provided the specific selection. The A/E shall obtain from Facilities Management Service the name and type of specialty materials and equipment that are required for use on the project. All materials shown in the specifications shall, if named specifically by brand or production name, carry the statement "or approved equal" and shall include specific material performance requirements that must be satisfied. Exception may occur due to previously purchased or installed items interacting with new construction. In this situation, items used should be the same as existing or matched accordingly. The A/E shall specify construction in detail in all the specification sections. Tolerances, and workmanship, shall not be allowed to default to "common industry/ construction practices”, or any similar vague standard. The legal precedence of the specifications over the drawings shall not be used to resolve design ambiguities between the drawings or notes necessary for clarity. Any contradiction, ambiguity, or statements subject to various interpretations shall be immediately corrected to reflect a single clear intention.

d.

Construction Duration Schedules: The A/E shall submit with each design submission a schedule for the project indicating construction milestones and long lead items. The schedule will be in enough detail to accurately estimate the proper construction duration.

e.

Minimum Requirements for A/E Submissions: The cost of reproduction of all review materials is included in the contract amount. Submissions shall be made in accordance with the requirements of VA Program Guide PG-18-15 Volume C, A/E Submission Instructions for Minor and NRM Construction Program dated May 2006, and the following:

(1) SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND BASIS OF DESIGN DOCUMENT SUBMISSION. The following quantities of design review material are required.

(a) 2 half size sets of drawings (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound), and two copies of the BASIS OF DESIGN document

(b) 1 set of Preliminary Construction Cost Estimate

(c) 1 copy of the Preliminary Construction Duration Schedule

(d) Electronic media containing above documents.

(2) CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (35%). The following quantities of design review material are required:

(a) 1 half size and one full size set of drawings (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound)

(b) 1 set of Construction Cost Estimate

(c) 1 copy of the Construction Duration Schedule

(d) Electronic media containing above documents.

(3) CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (65%). The following quantities of design review material are required:

(a) 1 half size and one full size set of drawings (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound)

(b) 1 set of Construction Cost Estimate

(c) 1 set of marked-up Sections of the VA Master Construction Specifications

(d) 1 copies of the Construction Duration Schedule

(e) Electronic media containing above documents.

(4) CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SUBMISSION (99%/Final): Upon completion of all revisions, submit the following items:

(a) 1 Electronic Media (CD/DVD ROM) copies of the final project documents, with all project documents recorded on a single CD ROM, and containing the following:

· drawings in AutoCAD (.dwg) and Portable Document Format (pdf)

· the final individual specifications in MS Word format and PDF format

· the final specifications assembled into a single file in MS Word format and Portable Document Format (pdf), with all pages numbered sequentially

· final construction cost estimate in MS Excel

· Final Design Analysis in a single file in MS Word format and Portable Document Format (pdf).

· Construction duration schedule in MS Project and Portable Document Format (pdf).

(b) 1 full size and one half size set of drawings (Black line on bond paper, suitably bound)

(c) 1 set of Specifications, bound

(d) 1 set of full size mylar drawings f.

Delivery Media and Format for Final Documents 1.

Format: CAD Drawings shall be prepared in accordance with VHA Program Guide 18-3, VHA National CAD Standard Application Guide. A copy of all data and files developed under this project shall be delivered to the Government in digital format via CD/DVD ROM. A “Readme.txt” file must be included with the delivered digital media that includes an inventory of the included files.

2.

Label: The external label for each digital media shall contain the following information:

a. Project Number, noun name, and date.

b. Version of the AutoCAD software utilized.

c. Sequence number of digital media.

3.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Before a file is placed on the delivery digital media the following shall be performed:

a. Remove all extraneous graphics outside of the border area and set the active parameters to a standard setting.

b. Ensure all reference files are attached without device or directory specifications and in the same directory.

c. All digital files shall be delivered to the Government uncompressed.

d. Include all files both graphic and non-graphic required for the project (i.e. color tables, pen tables, font libraries, symbol libraries, user command files, plot configuration files, AML plot routines, etc.).

e. Include any standard sheets (i.e. abbreviation sheets, standard symbol sheets, etc.) necessary for a complete project.

f. Document any fonts, tables, symbols, cells/blocks, line styles/types, details, reference drawings, etc., developed by the contractor, or not provided among the Government furnished materials. The contractor shall obtain Government approval before using anything other than the Government standards.

g. Each finished CADD drawing or map shall have its own separate plot file. The plot file for each finished drawing shall be provided to the Government in a specified plotter configuration.

12. CONSTRUCTION PERIOD SERVICES:

a. Construction period services shall include eight site visits plus a final inspection and punch list preparation. A/E shall review submittals and respond to inquiries and modification requests. To include review and comments and cost estimates for same.