CONTRACTOR'S_QUESTIONS_AND_USACE_RESPONSES_TO_BE_INCORPORATED_VIA_AMEND_0004.pdf

The Contracting Officer is advancing CONTRACTOR’S INQUIRIES AND THE USACE’S RESPONSES in advance of the issuance of Amendment 0003. All questions and responses will be provided in an official Amendment 0003 to be issued on 9/9/2016. The Amendment will also incorporate revised Specification Sections to clarity items resulting from the below relevant questions.

Question 1. SECTION 35 20 23.50 Page 6 All sediment from the TSCA areas shown on the drawings must be placed in the East Cell of the CDF. All non-rock sediment, regardless of whether it can be hydraulically pumped by the offloading system must be placed in the east cell of the CDF. Debris must be thoroughly decontaminated to remove any sediment prior to placement in the west cell of the CDF. The COR or their representative may inspect debris prior to disposal in the west cell.

Question: What do we do with compacted sediment that can’t be pumped?

Response: All sediment must be placed in the east cell. The contractor will need to propose a method to place the material in the east cell in a distributed layer.

Question 2. 1.2.15 CDF Bathymetry Survey (Bid Items 0003AH, 0012AH, 0020AH, 0028AH, 0035AH) 1.2.15.1 Payment. Payment will be made for all costs associated with the surveying of sediment within one CDF disposal cell before and after each dredging event. The active disposal cell receiving dredged material will be surveyed. If both cells receive dredged material during the same dredging event, then each cell will be surveyed and payment will be made for each cell surveyed. This line item covers labor, material, equipment, and incidentals necessary to perform the CDF sediment survey described in SECTION 35 20 23.15 MECHANICAL DREDGING, TRANSPORTATION, AND DISPOSAL. .2.15.2 Measurement shall be made by the number of surveys performed for one CDF cell. 1.2.15.3 Unit of Measure Unit of Measure: Each (EA) Question: Does the scope of one survey measured and paid include both the before and after survey of one cell?

Response: The line item includes the before dredging and after dredging survey of one cell.

Question 3. SECTION 01 93 10 Page 6

3.7.1 Crane Maintenance and Repairs

The contractor shall perform all routine maintenance, routine repairs, and emergency repairs for the Government furnished crane to maintain crane operability and ability to perform the tasks specified by the contract. The contractor shall ensure that all maintenance, repairs and modifications to the Government furnished crane are performed in accordance with EM 385-1- 1, Section 16.G.02.

3.7.2 Crane Inspections and Testing

The contractor shall perform all inspections specified by EM 385-1-1, Section 16.D in accordance with the schedules and circumstances specified in that Section. The contractor shall perform all maintenance, repairs and modifications necessary to maintain the crane's compliance with EM 385-1-1, Question: Do we need to inspect and repair the crane if and when we have no Task Orders that we need the crane to operate?

Response: Yes – Inspection (including Annual Inspection) and all routine maintenance as required by the manufacturer and described in the specifications is to be part of the CDF facility maintenance line item work. Repairs beyond those required by the manufacturer’s routine maintenance checklist and described in the specifications shall be performed under the major repairs/upgrade line item. A copy of the manufacturer’s checklist is available from USACE.

Question: What repairs are not the responsibility of the contractor?

Response: All crane repairs are to be the responsibility of the contractor.

Question 4. Section 35 20 23.15, Part 1.8 Material to be removed says, “Material to be removed as part of this contract will consist of both historical “backlog” material that accumulated between 1972 and 2012, and “maintenance” material that has accumulated since 2012, depending on the areas to be dredged, including overconsolidated, well-compacted, or cemented material, or other hard materials encountered within the Federal Channel, above the specified bottom of the required dredging prism.”

Question: Will the contractor be required to dredge hard or virgin material outside the Federal Channel?

Response: In theory there is no “virgin” material within the dredge prism of this manmade channel, however after many years of not dredging, the deeper sediment is well compacted both inside the channel limits and also in adjacent berthing areas. It is possible that the contractor will be asked to dredge outside the federal limits, for example along a dockface for a local sponsor, and that the deeper sediment will be hard material. There are no known bedrock outcroppings within the dredge prism for this harbor.

Question: Does the word backlog refer to maintenance material previously dredged in the Federal Channel and virgin material that remained in the Federal Channel from previous years?

Response: Backlog refers to the material that has not been dredged since the 1970’s.

Question 5. Sheet G-003. The Past IHC Dredging Volumes by Year and Dredging Areas. The debris quantities shown indicate volumes of debris that were picked up with an environmental bucket. Hard areas and heavy debris laden areas were skipped over or dredged privately. For example, Area 5 Non-Federal had 16,000 cubic yards of heavy industrial debris that was dredged with a modified clam shell and was offloaded onto private property for disposal. That quantity is not included in the Past IHC Dredging Debris Volumes because it didn’t go in the CDF. Also, Reach 12 had over 2,000 tons of stone along the dock face.

Question: Note 5 on Sheet G-004 states the debris pad shown on the drawing is the only place the contractor can stockpile and wash debris. What is the capacity of the debris pad?

Response: The maximum capacity of the debris pad is 6,000 pounds. Please reference Specification Section 01 10 00 General Provisions, Paragraph 1.10.1, subparagraph 5, which states: "The Contractor may use the south end of the site for storage, equipment or other purposes consistent with the execution of the specifications, EXCEPT that the area shown on the plans over the canal sheet pile wall tiebacks may not be used, nor can the contractor use the 700 feet westernmost end of the dock face or any area allocated to another Contractor.

The south access road shall be limited in use by vehicles not to exceed the Class 1 Light Duty Trucks (0 to 6,000 lbs)."

The debris pad is located over the tiebacks, however, access will granted on the debris pad to vehicles and equipment under 6,000 pounds (total weight of all vehicles on the pad). The Contractor shall be prohibited from driving over any other part of tie rod area unless they make a specific written request to do so, which must be approved by USACE before proceeding.

Access will be limited to vehicles under 6,000 pounds for a limited duration. In the case of an emergency, an ambulance or light duty truck as described in the specifications will be allowed over the tie rod area if necessary. Any heavier vehicles, such as fire trucks, will remain prohibited. Please note that the south access road is north of the tie rod area.

Question: Are there restrictions for vehicular traffic coming and going to the debris pad?

Response: The maximum loading capacity of the debris pad is 500 pounds per square foot.

Any vehicles on the debris pad remain limited to a maximum weight of 6000 pounds.

Question: Note 5 also states to hose down or clean debris at the debris pad. Is water available at the pad for washing?

Response: There is a water faucet at the decontamination pad of limited capacity that would be possible to use.

Question: Will the wastewater need to be captured and pumped to the CDF?

Response: The debris pad drains to the groundwater collection system and is pumped to the CDF, where it does become part of the water that would be treated prior to discharge. There is no need to have a separate treatment operation for water from the debris pad only.

Question 6. The previous RFP Question: Response 6 said, “The quantity requiring dredging with a modified clam shell bucket is expected to be small relative to the volume that can be dredging using and environmental bucket”.

Question: Please define the term small mentioned in Response 6. Please confirm this response applies to this RFP.

Response: Small does not have a numerical value. An environmental bucket will be used whenever it is possible to remove material from the canal. Only after it is demonstrated that an environmental bucket cannot be used to remove the material from the canal will a modified clam shell bucket be allowed for use. It is expected that more material can be removed with an environmental bucket than with a modified clam shell bucket.

Question 7. Section 35 20 23.15 Mechanical Dredging, 2.1.2 Modified Clam-Shell Bucket. The specification says, “Any heavy debris or over consolidated, well-compacted, or cemented materials or other hard materials incapable of being dredged using an environmental bucket.

Utilize the modified clam-shell bucket only in portions of TSCA and non-TSCA areas, as needed, where project depth cannot be obtained using the environmental bucket.”

If a Modified Clam-Shell bucket is used, the bucket will have different physical characteristics and capabilities, which will drastically affect the dredging production. Therefore, we recommend that a separate bid item for this volume of material be identified in the contract.

This would result in a more cost effective solution to the government.

In Section 1.6 the dredging activity is said to consist of dredging, loading of barge or scow, transporting sediment to IHC CDF, and hydraulically off-loading sediment. Heavy debris or over consolidated, well-compacted, or cemented materials or other hard materials incapable of being dredged using an environmental bucket, will also primarily NOT be hydraulically pumpable. The specification does not address the offloading and hydraulic transportation of the dredging activity. Could the corps specify how these materials are to be transported and distributed in the CDF?

Response: The contractor must use hydraulic off loading whenever possible for placing sediment in the CDF. The contractor must propose debris and other material placement methods.

Question: Since this was not part of the current contract, and has not been previously required, and not accurately predictable, what is the reasonable quantity a contractor should anticipate?

Alternatively could there be a separate CLIN for this dredging to fairly compensate the contractor for the work?

Response: A separate CLIN is not considered at this time. The volume of material anticipated to be dredged with a modified clam shell bucket is anticipated to be less than that dredged with an environmental bucket. Consistent with the Environmental Impact Statement for this project and with other project constraints and agreements, an environmental bucket has been identified as the primary dredging technology required.

Question: Will the Government order dredging in previously dredged areas where an environmental bucket has been unsuccessful in achieving the required grade?

Response: The Government will order dredging in potentially any/all areas where bathymetry indicates that the sediment elevation is above the authorized depth, including areas which have been previously dredged.

Question 8. Debris. Page G-003 lists past dredging volumes and debris tonnages by the year.

What if the debris quantities represented in the table are exceeded in subsequent dredging years? Will the government fairly compensate the contractor for the additional work?

Response: Increased quantities will be ordered via modifications to the respective task order.

Unforeseen site conditions will be addressed via the Differing Site Conditions FAR Clause.

Question 9. Bid Item CDF Water Management. “Payment will be made for the cost of managing water outside of routine dredging operations in the CDF cells by transferring water between the cells, as directed by the COR. Payment DOES NOT include water transfer between cells during dredging operations and sediment offloading periods”. If water is transferred between cells prior to or after dredging/offloading operations, is this considered part of the dredging operation period? For example, prior to the start of dredging 3 ft of water is pumped from one cell to the other to make room for 3 ft of dredge material in that cell. Will that volume be paid under this bid item?

Response: The CDF Water Management line item is to pay for water transfer when the contractor is not at the site during the dredging period. The dredging period includes one month before dredging/sediment disposal starts and one month after dredging/sediment disposal ends. Water management that occurs in conjunction with dredging, such as moving water just before the start of dredging operations, is NOT covered under this pay item. This pay item covers independent water management activities that may occur outside of the dredging period.

Question 10. Wages Rates. Will each Option year executed be subject to revised wage rate determinations?

Response: Yes, the new wage determination will be incorporated in accordance with the provisions set forth at FAR Subpart 22.404-12, “Labor standards for contracts containing construction requirements and option provisions that extend the term of the contract.”

END OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS