QA_Contractor_2_July_19_Emailed_Questions.pdf

Cherry Creek Dam Stilling Basin Dewatering and Cleaning Contract Solicitation # W9128F19Q0090 Pre-Bid Contractor Questions and Answers

Contractor:

E & L Construction Group Christopher Esponge, President 134 East Main Street, Suite 2 New Iberia, LA 70560

Questions E-mailed 2 July 2019 and Answers:

Question 1. Can the government give an estimate on the amount of silt & debris that needs to be cleaned and removed? If they are not expecting as much cleanup of debris as last time what would be a good quantity to use for estimate?

Response: The estimated amount of material to be removed from the Stilling Basin is included in the 2nd paragraph of Section 5.5.4 of Specification SECTION 01 11 00: “The estimated volume of sediment, debris and other foreign material to be removed is 50 to 200 cubic yards.” Based on a recent underwater survey of the Stilling Basin (April 2019), it is not anticipated that there will be significant amounts of debris as compared to the 2009 cleanout. For bidding purposes, the Contractor may assume 25 cubic yards of debris or less to be removed (of the 50 to 200 cubic yards total amount of material to be removed).

Question 2. Will an excavator be needed since the government does not anticipate significant material removal or will a skid steer suffice?

Response: The need for an excavator will be up to the Contractor to determine.

However, an excavator will not be allowed with the walls of the Stilling Basin. As stated in the last paragraph of Section 5.5.4 of Specification SECTION 01 11 00: “No large or heavy construction equipment (such as excavators, bulldozers, backhoes, etc.) will be allowed within the walls of the Stilling Basin. Lighter construction equipment (such as a skid loader or Bobcat with rubber tracks) will be allowed, subject to approval of the COR. It is anticipated that some, if not all, of the removal of riprap/aggregate/sediment/debris near the concrete surfaces of the structure will require manual removal methods (i.e. shovels and manual labor)”.

Question 3. How big is riprap if any that will need to be removed?

Response: As per Section 5.5.4 of Specification SECTION 01 11 00: “The estimated volume of riprap/coarse aggregate expected is 20 to 25 cubic yards”. The upper size limit for riprap expected is 12” to 15”.

Question 4. Water availability? Can water be pumped from the lake/reservoir for the use of cleaning with pressure washers?

Response: Lake/reservoir water will not be allowed for pressure washing. Clean potable water must be imported and used. Potable is not available at the project site.

Question 5. Psi pressure? Can a pressure of greater than 2500 psi be used? If so, what is the greatest amount of psi allowed?

Response: Pressures above 2,500 psi may be used. Maximum pressure allowed is 3,500 psi. However, the Contractor will need to demonstrate that the methods to be used for pressure washing (pressures, nozzle type, nozzle angle, etc.) will clean the concrete surfaces without damaging them. Reference Section 5.5.7 of specification SECTION 01 11 00 for discussion of Damage to USACE Facilities/Property.

Question 6. How much flow is expected in Creek during construction?

Response: The 2nd paragraph of Section 5.5.2 of Specification SECTION 01 11 00 states that “Once initially dewatered, it shall be assumed that up to an additional 100 to 300 gallons of water per minute (0.22 to 0.67 ft³/second) may enter the Stilling Basin from minor gate leakage and groundwater inflow, and must be removed. This amount of flow will have to be continuously pumped for the duration of the dewatering, cleaning and inspection portion of this Contract.” No other flows are expected into the Stilling Basin during the Contract.

Question 7. Are haul roads existing? Solicitation specifies the difference between a haul road and an access road, but aerial maps provided by the government only show access roads. Please address whether or not haul roads exist or need to be constructed.

Response: The existing roads on the downstream side of Cherry Creek Dam are crushed graveled access roads used for inspection and minor maintenance purposes by the Tri-Lakes Project Office. Whether or not any additional road work is necessary for the Contractor to conduct hauling operations is up to the Contractor to determine.

Question 8. Is the haul road the same as access road?

Response: A haul road is any road that is necessary to haul and dispose of the riprap, coarse aggregate, silt, debris, and other foreign material deposited in, and that will be removed from, within the Stilling Basin. The access roads on the downstream side of the dam may also be used as haul roads.

Question 9. If the access road is to be used as the haul road to dispose of material, are there any weight restrictions on the access road?

Response: All roads necessary to perform the work, whether a road on government property or a public road, shall meet the legal load limit requirements of State, County and Local jurisdiction. The crushed graveled roads on government property are subject to the same legal limits as local County roads.

Question 10. Haul road dust control? How critical will it be to control haul road dust, and should we expect a significant amount of dust during November?

Response: A significant amount of dust control is not expected. However, it is up to the Contractor to determine what to expect for dust control for bidding purposes.

Question 11. Are we allowed to work weekends?

Response: Weekend work is allowed. See Section 2.7.2 of Specification SECTION 01 11 00 for requirements.

Question 12. Q & A provided on FBO.gov specifies that contractor is in charge of removing fish but Page 26 of Cherry_Creek_Stilling_Basin_Specs_6-10- 19_PART_1.pdf (5.1.1. Task 1, Page 12 of Construction Specifications) states that “During the surface water removal process, live fish will be removed from the Stilling Basin and placed into either Cherry Creek Lake or the Cherry Creek Channel downstream of the outlet works by USACE, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and/or the State of Colorado.” Please clarify who is responsible for the removal of fish.

Response: The Contractors requirements for the removal of fish work as part of this Contract are included in Section 5.5.3 of Specification SECTION 01 11 00. As per this Section, “The removal and relocation of the fish during this Contract will be coordinated between, and conducted by, USACE, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Cherry Creek State Park”.

Question 13. Can the government clarify how much fence will be removed which will give contractors an idea of how much fence needs to be returned to same condition?

Response: The amount of existing fence needed to be removed, if any, for this Contract in order to complete the Contract scope of work will be up to the Contractor to determine. Any fence removal and replacement is subject to approval by the USACE

COR.

Question 14. When the government states that contractor must replace the fence back to the same condition, can contractors reuse fence material or does the contractor have to replace with new material?

Response: The Contractor can reuse removed security fence materials provided they are not damaged, as determined be the COR. For bidding purposes, the Contractor should assume that replacement of the security fencing, if any, shall be accomplished with new fencing materials.

Question 15. Will contractor’s proposals be evaluated at a lower score than others if contractor chooses not to visit the site? We feel the government has provided a sufficient amount of information to assist contractor’s from outside the State of Colorado. We also feel that a site visit could prove to be unnecessary largely in part because the viewing of the stilling basin will be filled with water and therefore, we will still be asking for the most critical question; How much sediment is estimated to be removed? The amount of sediment seems to remain unknown until dewatered.

Response: No. Whether or not the Contractor chooses to visit the site will not be considered in the proposal evaluation. As stated in Section 5 of Specification SECTION 00 22 00 and Section 1.3 of Specification SECTION 01 11 00, a site visit “is highly encouraged”, but it is not required.

Regarding the amount of sediment expected: as is discussed in the response to Question 1, the estimated volume of sediment, debris and other foreign material to be removed is 50 to 200 cubic yards. A recent underwater survey of the Stilling Basin (April 2019), was conducted to verify these estimated quantities.