Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Questions and Answers:

Question: For Option 2, Access Road Reconstruction, the bid schedule includes unit price pay items and quantities for all of the new construction elements and for one of the removal items, Removing Existing Vehicle Stops. The bid schedule does not include items for removing the old pavement structure and excavating to 14” below existing grade to allow the new access road to be constructed to existing grade.

We also cannot find any verbiage in the specifications that would make these preparatory items incidental to other pay items. Please clarify?

Answer: Line Item 40 has been added to the Bid Schedule to account for this cost and has been accounted for in section 32 01 00 in the Revised Specifications section 3.2.

Question: Please provide additional clarification regarding Maintenance of Traffic. The contract documents require traffic to be maintained along the same alignment as the new construction. The new construction results in a roadway width of only 20’, including shoulders. This is too narrow to permit use of part-width, full-depth construction. We believe part-width, partial depth construction can be utilized and still maintain a relatively small traffic volume. Is it permissible to a) completely close the road intermittently, say for 20 to 30 minutes at a time; and b) to temporarily maintain traffic on the DGA aggregate base during construction?

Answer: It is not acceptable to close the road intermittently except in rare circumstances as applicable, however it is okay to temporarily maintain traffic on the DGA aggregate base during construction. See section 01 50 00 in the revised specifications section 1.6.

§ 03 30 53 Miscellaneous Cast-in-Place Concrete:

Part 2.1.1 Strength:

Question: It states, “Acceptance test results are the average strengths of two specimens tested at 28 days (90 days if pozzolan is used).” Therefore, if the f’c is 3,000 psi and a pozzolan is used, then the acceptable strength at 90 days is 3,000 psi irrespective of the strength at 28 days?

Answer: Yes for concrete with pozzolan, the acceptable strength shall be 3,000 psi at 90 days irrespective of the strength at 28 days.

Question: It states, “The strength of the concrete is considered satisfactory so long as the average of all sets of three consecutive tests results equal or exceed the specified compressive strength, f’c, but not by more than 20 percent, …” Therefore, if f’c is 3,000 psi and a strength of 3,700 psi is attained, would this be considered a penalty or failure situation?

Answer: “but not by not more than 20 percent" has been deleted from the contract specifications.

Part 2.1.3 Concrete Mixture Proportions:

Question: It states, “The maximum water-cementitious material ratio is 0.45.” If the above-mentioned specification stands (that the maximum strength is 20 percent of f’c), then it is impossible to comply with the w/c ratio and not get a strength higher than 3,600 psi.

Answer: Per the response to the previous question, this issue will go away.

Part 2.2.1.1 Portland Cement:

Question: It states that the cement shall be “low-alkali” and “a maximum cement-alkali content of 0.60 percent Na2O equivalent.” Does the cement have to be designated “low-alkali” or can it simply meet the low-alkali requirement? Also, can the Na2O limit be met when considering all cementitious material and not just the cement only?

Answer: No the cement does not have to be "low-alkali" but the Na2O equivalent shall not exceed 0.60 percent for all the cementious material.

§ 03 22 70.01 Controlled Low-Strength Material (CLSM):

Part 1.2 Design Requirements:

Question: It states, “CLSM fill shall have a minimum compressive strength of 800 psi and a maximum compressive strength of 1,200 psi at 28 days.” If the CLSM exceeds the 1,200 psi strength, is that a penalty or failure situation?

Answer: If the CLSM exceeds the 1,200 psi strength it is not a penalty or failure.

Question: It states, “The expansion and bleeding shall be less than 1 percent when measured in accordance with ASTM C940.” ASTM C940 is the “Standard Test Method for Expansion and Bleeding of Freshly-Mixed Grouts for Preplaced-Aggregate Concrete in the Laboratory.” Is this the correct, applicable standard?

Answer: The expansion and bleeding requirement has been removed.

Question: CLSM is fine aggregate suspended in an abundance of water and limited cementitious material. Therefore, it is impossible for CLSM to meet the 1 percent limit on bleeding.

Answer: See response to previous question.

General Questions:

Question: Request for bore logs and/or specifications on what is underneath the existing asphalt.

Answer: Bore logs, pavement borings, or additional as-built drawings or specifications related to the existing access road are not currently available.

Question: Is there a note/provision for asphalt escalation based on the current asphalt index?

Answer: At the present point in time there is no note/provision for asphalt escalation.