Requests for Information and Responses W912BU25BA009.0002.pdf

Consolidated Requests for Information and Responses Solicitation W912BU25BA009 FY 25 IRI Beach Nourishment

Amendment 0001, 25 June 2025

1. In the drawings, Sheet C-104 Note 6 states the Contractor shall dredge all material to within one foot above the maximum contract depth. In the specifications Section 35 31 00 Paragraph 3.4.2 mentions maximum allowable depth plus overdepth. Please verify if the maximum allowable depths are the one indicated on Sheet C-104 or if there is an allowable overdepth.

Answer 1: The plan and specifications intent are to direct the Contractor to dredge to the max depths with an allowable 1 foot over depth. Sheet C-104, note 6 has been revised to remove the confusion.

2. Option Line Item 0008 unit is square yard however all the other beach fill line items are cubic yard. Please clarify the Line Item 0008 unit.

Answer 2: Line-Item 0008 Unit was corrected to reflect Cubic Yards.

3. Can you please confirm that there is not a second page to Section 00 10 00 -Solicitation, Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN) Schedule that includes a place for totals.

Answer 3: Lines for the base total and the base plus options total will be added to section through this amendment.

4. Are Submittal Packages required to be named a certain way when uploaded through

PIEE?

Answer 4: Please refer to Section 00 21 00 of the solicitation for detailed instructions on submitting through PIEE.

5. Do you prefer to have the original and copy of the bid submittals to be uploaded separately or together as one PDF?

Answer 5: Please ensure that the original and the copy of the bid submittals are submitted separately through PIEE.

Have Contractors been provided with all available permits? If additional available permits exist, please provide them.

Answer 5: The Bid as shown, no additional government information is available

6. There are no Vibracore reports for Borrow Area B ( See Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 1.6.3). In view of this please confirm that Bidders should assume that the characteristics of Borrow Area B are similar to Borrow Area A.

Answer 6: No vibracore data is available for Borrow Area B. Based on Borrow Area A data, similar material characteristics are anticipated, but bidders must make their own assumptions.

7. We note on Drawing Page C-104 that there are only two Vibracores within Borrow Area A and zero Vibracores within Borrow Area B. Please confirm that Bidders should assume that acceptable beachfill material will be encountered.

Answer 7: No vibracore data is available for Borrow Area B. Based on Borrow Area A data, similar material characteristics are anticipated, but bidders must make their own assumptions.

8. Please define “routine moves of the dredge(s) within the limits of the borrow area”, as that phrase is used in Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 1.6.3. How much movement should be anticipated, both from the perspective of dredge location and dredge depth?

Answer 8: The Bid as shown, no additional government information is available

9. There are no indicators of boulders, cobbles, or gravel within the Vibracore reports. In view of this please provide the Government’s justification for asserting in Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 1.6.3, that these materials may be encountered in the Borrow Area. If the Government’s statement is based on past records, please provide said records.

Answer 9: The Bid as shown, no additional government information is available

10. Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 1.5.1 states “There are numerous obstructions in the project areas; including but not limited to: existing bulkheads, dunes, stairs, groins, geotubes, retaining walls, ramps, pavilions (which are visible and hidden), and piles in the project areas which may effect placement of the beachfill.”

Please explain where these piles are located. What are the piles made of? How may these piles effect the placement of beachfill? Piles and geotubes are not part of this Contract and have been removed as part of AM0001.

Answer 10: The piles and geotubes are not part of this Contract and have been removed as part of this amendment.

11. Please provide a Bid Item for MEC Standby Time. Please confirm the time and date set for the Bid Opening.

Answer 11: MEC Standby Time should be included Line Item 4 MEC Modifications and Monitoring. The Bid Opening will be extended a week to 15 July 2025 to allow contractors to be able to process all answers RFIs.

12. Please consider a bid extension of two weeks to allow Contractor’s time to process all answered questions.

Answer 12: These comments are not substantial and do not think an extension of two weeks is needed, the bid opening will only be extended a week to 15 July 2025.

13. Lastly, Sam.gov states “*Please acknowledge the updated solicitation package, including the solicitation, drawings, and specifications, effective 5 June 2025.*” – Since there was not an amendment issued, how are bidders required to acknowledge the updated solicitation package?

Answer 13: The solicitation was never fully released in the contract writing system prior to 5 June 2024. Therefore, the official solicitation and additional drawing and specification documents that are to be acknowledged are to reflect 5 June 2025.

Amendment 0002, As of 30 June 2025

14. The plans and specifications require contractor dredge to a max depth with a 1 foot overdepth. If the contractor exceeds the 1' overdepth, will this be deducted from payment?

Answer 14: Refer to Specification Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 1.6.2. Bid as Shown.

15. Additionally, if we don't achieve the required max depth, will the contractor be required to go back over the area; even if the second pass will certainly go beyond the the overdepth?

Answer 15: Refer to Specification Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 1.6.1. Bid as shown.

16. Lastly, can material slough off from outside the borrow area as long as the bottom toe of excavation remains inside the borrow area? Or will we be deducted from slope material removed outside of the borrow area?

Answer 16: Dredged material must wholly come from within the limits of the borrow area.

Sloughing materials along borrow area limits are unavoidable. To help limit sloughing material from outside of borrow area from entering dredge, the cutter head should be oriented at a 5H:1V slope between borrow area limit and adjacent dredge cut.

17. Assuming material cannot be obtained from below or outside of the borrow area, has the government calculated the amount of material that can be safely obtained without removing material from outside the borrow area? This project will likely be dredged with a 30" dredge. A 1' tolerance is certainly unrealistic in any water body, especially the Atlantic Ocean.

Additionally, buffer zones will need to be created, around both borrow areas due to sloughing.

This significantly limits the available borrow.

Answer 17: Bid as shown. The government has calculated the available volume of material within the borrow area boundaries at planned dredge depths shown on the plans. Based on these calculations, there is expected to be sufficient material. The Contractor is expected to make reasonable efforts to maintain the specified dredging tolerances. For more on the buffer zones and side slopes, see the response to RFI #16.

18. There is a placement tolerance on the beach of plus .5 feet and minus 0 for the berm and plus .2 feet and minus 0 for the dune. To be clear, there is no payment for material placement within the tolerances?(3.2.12). In other words, any material placed in the tolerance is unpaid?

Answer 18: Refer to Specification Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 3.2.12. Payment will not be made outside of the tolerances specified. Bid as shown.

19. Note 2 Sheet C-302 states DNREC conducted emergency beach work. Please provide the as-built surveys for all material placed below elevation 5’.

Answer 19: The emergency DNREC beachfill as-built survey as provided to USACE was used to generate existing cross sections shown on the contract drawings. No additional information is available.

20. Please clarify the template shown on the cross sections on Sheet C-302 represents the base only template or the base and options template?

Answer 20: The template shown approximates the distribution of total beachfill quantity to be awarded. The decision to award options will be determined based on pre-construction project condition surveys, and the construction template will be adjusted accordingly at that time.

21. We understand there are no vibracores in Borrow Area B. Are there vibracores or soil information available in any other portion of the permitted borrow area? If so, please provide them.

Answer 21: Bid as Shown. No additional vibracores or soil data is available for Borrow Area B or other portions of the permitted borrow area.

22. Based on boreholes KHV-105 and KHV-230, there is a clay layer in close proximity of the dig template. Based on the expected depth of the clay layer, there is a concern that there will not be a sufficient quantity of suitable material to construct the beach template as designed. Is there an alternative material source that could be utilized in a case such as this?

Answer 22: Bid as Shown. Based on available survey and quantity estimates, the government expects sufficient suitable material to meet the project requirements for the base and all options.

23. The answer to question 11 in amendment 1 states that the line item 4 should include any MEC standby time. Please specify the amount of time in hours or days that the Contractor should anticipate being on MEC standby.

Answer 23: Bid as shown. No additional information is available.

24: Can you please confirm the coordinates for Point 11 listed on W921BU25BA009-Dwgs?

When I build a channel file, I am not getting the nice rectangle as shown in the dwg.

Answer 24: Sheet C-104 revised via Amendment 2.

25 I've got a couple more questions for this project. Can you please confirm the coordinates for Point 11 listed on W921BU25BA009-Dwgs? When I build a channel file, I am not getting the nice rectangle as shown in the dwg. Please see the attached screenshots to see what I'm talking about. Also, would you be able to provide the survey xyz data?

Answer 25: Sheet C-104 revised and xyz provided via Amendment 2.

26. Note 2 on page 302 of the plans states there are two separate surveys shown. There is a short faint line above elevation 5 that appears to be data from after the DNREC emergency beach fill.

This line trails into nothing. For us to calculate the beach berm quantities, we need a full survey.

What data did the USACE use to calculate the beach fill requirements?

Answer 26: Answer 26: The contractor shall bid the project with quantities included in the solicitation and shall place material as indicated on the contract drawings.

27. Beach takeoffs show that it requires more material to be placed on the beach and dunes than what is available in the borrow area. What is the Government’s intent if the current borrow area template is insufficient to meet the current beach fill template quantity?

Answer 27: Bid as Shown. Based on available survey and quantity estimates, the government expects sufficient suitable material to meet the project requirements for the base and all options.

28. Specification Section 35 31 00, Paragraph 1.6.2 states “If during the progress of the work it is determined that the borrow area does not contain a sufficient quantity of material for completion of the project, the Contracting Officer may adjust the maximum allowable depth of the borrow area.”, in view of this, what is the Government’s intent if unsuitable material continues to be found at the newly permitted depths and beach fill quantities are unable to be met?

Answer 28: Bid as Shown. Based on available survey and quantity estimates, the government expects sufficient suitable material to meet the project requirements for the base and all options.

29. Do these blanks require a percentage on your end? Typically, it is 60% mobilization and 40% demobilization.

252.236-7004 Payment for Mobilization and Demobilization. (Dec 1991)

PAYMENT FOR MOBILIZATION AND DEMOBILIZATION (DEC 1991)

(a) The Government will pay all costs for the mobilization and demobilization of all of the Contractor's plant and equipment at the contract lump sum price for this item.

(1) ____ percent of the lump sum price upon completion of the contractor's mobilization at the work site.

(2) The remaining ____ percent upon completion of demobilization.

Answer 29: This will be addressed via Amendment 0002.

30. Does the material retained in the MEC baskets require off-site removal? On previous projects with the Philadelphia District, the shell, gravel, and other materials retained in the baskets was left on-site for the owner to utilize.

If it is required off site removal, would the USACE consider a unit price per ton removal CLIN.

Otherwise, we are left with limited information to determine the amount of material that will be retained in the baskets. This risk then is placed in our bids.

Answer 30: Yes, material collected in the MEC baskets will require off-site disposal. These costs shall be included in the CLIN for MEC Modifications and Monitoring