C1DA--626A4-26-201 A/E Replace Domestic Water Fire Mains and Main Backflow Devices

36C24926R0023 626A4-26-201 Replace Domestic Water/Fire Mains and Main Backflow Devices Page 9 of 16 Page 1 of THIS IS A PRESOLICITATION NOTICE The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 9 Central Region, 1639 Medical Center Parkway, Suite 204, Murfreesboro, TN, 37129, is issuing this pre-solicitation to request for Architectural and Engineering Firm s SF330 s for the following project: 626A4-26-201, Replace Domestic Water/Fire Mains and Main Backflow Devices, for Architectural and Engineering Design Services. The consultant shall provide all necessary Architectural and Engineering (A/E) services as required to prepare complete contract drawings, specifications, technical reports, cost estimates, and services throughout construction for "Replace Domestic Water/Fire Mains and Main Backflow Devices at the historic York Campus of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), located at 3400 Lebanon Pike, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. This project will replace approximately 30,000 Linear Feet (LF) of water mains (20,000 LF of Domestic Mains/ services and run outs and approximately 10,000 LF of fire mains / services), as well as, replace the main backflow stations at the meter vaults for each connection (Consolidated Utility District "CUD" and The City of Murfreesboro) to create a complete water system (fire and domestic). This project may also involve work in each building to address how fire mains are connected to the domestic water (backflow protection), as well as, providing electrical power from buildings if heated enclosures are needed to protect exterior fire backflow systems from freezing. Work includes, but is not limited to, professional design services of Mechanical, Plumbing, Industrial Hygiene (IH), Structural/Seismic, Civil, Electrical power and systems (such as communications, controls, fire protection/alarm). Location: VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus, 1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212. SET-ASIDE: 100% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) CONSTRUCTION BUDGET DESIGN LIMITATIONS/PROJECT MAGNITUDE: Construction Budget is between $1,000,000.00 and $2,000,000.00. NAICS: 237110 - Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARD: $45 million PROJECT DESCRIPTION: See Attached Statement of Works (SOW). The VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus is seeking professional architect/engineering firms to fully survey, investigate and document the existing space and utility systems to gain the knowledge and insight necessary to prepare quality, accurate construction documents in a professional and competent manner, addressing all project objectives found in the SOW. Note: THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR AN AE FEE PROPOSAL. NO FEE PROPOSAL SHALL BE REQUESTED UNTIL AFTER AN EVALUATION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PROVIDED SF330 AND THE TOP-RATED FIRM SELECTED. Submit current SF330 to [email protected]. The SF330 are due on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 1:00 PM Central Time. See Electronic Submission Requirements on page 4 and 5 for instructions on submitting your SF-330. The selection of the most qualified contractor will follow the guidance provided in FAR 36.6 Architect-Engineer Services, except as provided in FAR 36.602-5 Short Selection Process for Contracts Not to Exceed the Simplified Acquisition threshold. The Government will not pay, nor reimburse, any costs associated with responding to this request. The Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. Firms will be selected based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work. Bid Deduct Alternates of at least 20% of the approved construction budget shall be developed, planned, and estimated as necessary to ensure award of contract within available funds. Bid Deduct Alternates shall be clearly identified on contract drawings. All offerors are advised that in accordance with VAAR 836.606-73 the total cost of the architect or engineer services contracted for must not exceed 6 percent of the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related services and activities. Additionally, FAR Clause 52.236-2 (c) - Design Within Funding Limitation, will be applicable to this procurement action. Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly rated AE firm selected to complete the design. Important Notice: Apparent successful offerors must apply for and receive verification from the Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) in accordance with 38 CFR Part 74 and VAAR 819.70 by submission of documentation of Veteran status, ownership and control sufficient to establish appropriate status, offerors must be both VISIBLE and VERIFIED by the Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprises at the time of submission of proposal. Failure to be both VERIFIED by CVE and VISIBLE on VetBiz at the time of proposal submission, time of interview, and at time of award will result in the offeror s proposal being deemed non-responsive. All offerors are urged to contact the CVE and submit the required documents to obtain CVE verification of their SDVOSB status if they have not already done so. Contract Award Procedure: Before a small business is proposed as a potential contractor, they must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://beta.sam.gov. Failure of a proposed SDVOSB to be VERIFIED by CVE and VISIBLE in SBA Small Buisness Search at https://search.certifications.sba.gov/, and registered in SAM at the time the SF 330 is submitted shall result in elimination from consideration as a proposed contractor. The proposed services will be obtained by a Negotiated Firm-Fixed Price Contract. The review/design of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, or other engineering features of the work shall be accomplished by architects or engineers registered in a State or possession of the United States, or in Puerto Rico or in the District of Columbia. The project drawings/design shall follow applicable standards and codes described in VA Program Guides and design materials. Master Construction Specifications Index, VA Construction Standards Index, VA Standards Index, and Criteria are available in the Technical Information Library (TIL) on VA Website address: http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/. The submitted SF330s will be evaluated in accordance with the following eight criteria from the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 36.602-1 and Veteran Administration Acquisition Regulation Subpart 836.602. Then a minimum of three of the most highly qualified firms will be selected to hold discussions regarding concepts and relative utility of alternative methods of furnishing the required services. A fee proposal will be requested from the top- rated firm chosen. SELECTION CRITERIA: Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services; Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required, including, where appropriate, experience in energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and the use of recovered materials; Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time; Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules; Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project; provided, that application of this criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project; Reputation and standing of the firm and its principal officials with respect to professional performance, general management, and cooperativeness; Record of significant claims against the firm because of improper or incomplete architectural and engineering services; and Specific experience and qualifications of personnel proposed for assignment to the project and their record of working together as a team. The awarded A/E firm will prepare drawings and specifications in enough detail such that qualified outside General Contracting companies can prepare accurate and timely proposals for the desired work. The awarded A/E firm is responsible for ensuring that the specifications and drawings supplied fully represent all the work described in the Request for Proposal (RFP). The Medical Center must remain operational throughout the construction period and a detailed sequence of work will be provided by the A/E to minimize impact of the construction. The SF-330 can be downloaded through the GSA Forms Library at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP, type in SF-330 in the Find a Form block and click on search. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 36.209, no contract for the construction of a project shall be awarded to the firm that designed the project or its subsidiaries or affiliates, except with the approval of the head of the agency or authorized representative. In addition, contractors are notified of the award via an electronic Notice of Award e-mail. The award document will be attached to the Notice of Award e-mail. Acceptable Electronic Formats (Software) for Submission of Offers: Note: Only Electronic copies will be accepted Files readable using the current Microsoft* Office version Products: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Please see security note below for caution regarding use of macros. When submitting construction drawings contractors are required to submit one set in AutoCAD and one set in Adobe PDF (purpose: contracting can open the PDF version and engineering can open AutoCAD files). Files in Adobe* PDF (Portable Document Format) Files: When scanning documents scanner resolution should be set to 200 dots per inch, or greater; Other Electronic Format:  If you wish to submit an offer using another format other than described in these instructions, e-mail the Contracting Officer who issued the solicitation.  Please submit your request at least ten (10) calendar days before the scheduled closing date of the solicitation.  Request a decision as to the format acceptability and make sure you receive approval of the alternate format before using it to send your offer; and please note that we can no longer accept .zip files due to increasing security concerns. E-mail Submission Procedures: For simplicity in this guidance, all submissions in response to a solicitation will be referred to as offers. Subject Line: Include the solicitation number, name of company, and closing date of solicitation; Size: Maximum size of the e-mail message shall not exceed five (5) megabytes. Only one email is permitted unless otherwise stated in this paragraph or in writing by a Contracting Officer; and The offer will be date and time stamped by the Microsoft Email system and will be the official record of receipt for the submission. SECURITY ISSUES, LATE BIDS, UNREADABLE OFFERS: Late submission of offers is outlined at FAR Parts 52.212-1(f), 52.214-7, and 52.215-1(c) (3). Particular attention is warranted to the portion of the provision that relates to the timing of submission. Please see FAR 15.207(c) for a description of the steps the Government shall take regarding unreadable offers. To avoid rejection of an offer, vendors must make every effort to ensure their electronic submission is virus-free. Submissions or portions thereof submitted and which the automatic system detects the presence of a virus or which are otherwise unreadable will be treated as unreadable pursuant to FAR Parts 14.406 and FAR 15.207(c). The virus scanning software used by our e-mail systems cannot always distinguish a macro from a virus. Therefore, sending a macro embedded in an e-mail message or an e-mail attachment may cause the e-mail offer to be quarantined. You may send both the spreadsheet and the spreadsheet saved in PDF format to ensure that your proposal is readable. Password protecting your offer is not permitted. The Contracting Officer will file the offer electronically which will allow access only by designated individuals. VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (DEC 2009) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans Affairs, Service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern : (1) Means a small business concern: (i) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans (or eligible surviving spouses); (ii) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans (or eligible surviving spouses) or, in the case of a service-disabled veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent caregiver of such veteran; (iii) The business meets Federal small business size standards for the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code identified in the solicitation document; and (iv) The business has been verified for ownership and control and is so listed in the Vendor Information Pages database, (http://www.VetBiz.gov). (2) Service-disabled veteran means a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service-connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16). (b) General. (1) Offers are solicited only from service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns. Offers received from concerns that are not service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns shall not be considered. (2) Any award resulting from this solicitation shall be made to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (c) Agreement. A service-disabled veteran owned small business concern agrees that in the performance of the contract, in the case of a contract for: (1) Services (except construction), at least 50 percent of the cost of personnel for contract performance will be spent for employees of the concern or employees of other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns; (2) Supplies (other than acquisition from a non-manufacturer of the supplies), at least 50 percent of the cost of manufacturing, excluding the cost of materials, will be performed by the concern or other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns; (3) General construction, at least 15 percent of the cost of the contract performance incurred for personnel will be spent on the concern s employees or the employees of other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns; or (4) Construction by special trade contractors, at least 25 percent of the cost of the contract performance incurred for personnel will be spent on the concern s employees or the employees of other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns. (d) A joint venture may be considered a service-disabled veteran owned small business concern if (1) At least one member of the joint venture is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern, and makes the following representations: That it is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern, and that it is a small business concern under the North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code assigned to the procurement; (2) Each other concern is small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the procurement; and (3) The joint venture meets the requirements of paragraph 7 of the explanation of Affiliates in 19.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (4) The joint venture meets the requirements of 13 CFR 125.15(b). (e) Any service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern (non-manufacturer) must meet the requirements in 19.102(f) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to receive a benefit under this program. Project 626A4-26-201 Replace Domestic Water/Fire Mains and Main Backflow Devices GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK The consultant shall provide all necessary Architectural and Engineering (A/E) services as required to prepare complete contract drawings, specifications, technical reports, cost estimates, and services throughout construction for "Replace Domestic Water/Fire Mains and Main Backflow Devices at the historic York Campus of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), located at 3400 Lebanon Pike, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. This project will replace approximately 30,000 Linear Feet (LF) of water mains (20,000 LF of Domestic Mains/ services and run outs and approximately 10,000 LF of fire mains / services), as well as, replace the main backflow stations at the meter vaults for each connection (Consolidated Utility District "CUD" and The City of Murfreesboro) to create a complete water system (fire and domestic). This project may also involve work in each building to address how fire mains are connected to the domestic water (backflow protection), as well as, providing electrical power from buildings if heated enclosures are needed to protect exterior fire backflow systems from freezing. Work includes, but is not limited to, professional design services of Mechanical, Plumbing, Industrial Hygiene (IH), Structural/Seismic, Civil, Electrical power and systems (such as communications, controls, fire protection/alarm). STATEMENT OF PROJECT OBJECTIVES The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) intends to have the Architect/Engineer (A/E) fully survey, investigate, and document the existing spaces and utility systems, affected by renovations, to gain the knowledge and insight necessary to prepare accurate documents in a professional and competent manner. The project objectives are as follows: Provide physical survey of the entire exterior water main and run outs to include inside buildings (may include survey under specific buildings where there are known leakages, issues or where mains traverse under buildings) to the mechanical rooms. Address issues of fire mains cross-connecting and backflowing into the domestic water mains and services. Design replacement of existing water and fire main piping services leading into buildings to mechanical rooms to a point of debarkation. Identify mains, structures and appurtenances that will be replaced clearly on drawings. Drawings shall include all utilities surrounding or affecting lines that are to be excavated and replaced. All pavement and landscaping are to be returned to an as good or better condition. Follow VA TIL requirements for backfill under areas subject to vehicular traffic. Design for structures (i.e. vaults, manholes, & castings) to be replaced, rehabilitated, or added. Modern pre-cast manholes and structures may be rehabilitated if determined to be structurally sound and meet current VA specification. Structures/castings under or near roadways shall also meet TDOT standards for local sourcing. Design loop per VA TIL in a manner that will provide redundancy with the two location sources so that water operation can be routed or back-fed from either metering source during an outage. Design will also eliminate dead legs and return those mains back to the loop where applicable. Improve reliability, monitoring, control, and energy efficiency, utilizing modern systems and features, such as non-priority native BACnet DDC controls, flow meters and pressure monitors. Modernize systems so that they are scalable and capable of modern features such as the integration of various existing systems, equipment, and devices. Upgrade outdated electrical, controls, communications, and mechanical systems. Improve the condition of the facility by correcting the following issues from the 2020 Facility Condition Assessment (FCA): 61776 (Water): The underground site domestic water main is original to the campus. The piping has had several leaks, is in poor condition, and should be replaced. 61777 (Water): The county water service enters the campus from the South. The county maintains the piping through the backflow assembly. The city water service enters the campus through the East and Building 148. The city maintains the piping through the backflow assembly. 337803 (Water): The current configuration consists of one 10 PRV at the CUD and three PRV s at the Murfreesboro service entrance (1) 4 and (2) 8 . The city water services PRV s are in poor condition and should be rebuilt. While the FCA team was onsite, on of the PRV s had significant leak fixing. Provide a current one-line diagram of the VA medical center s domestic water mains and fire mains leading into buildings. STATEMENT OF A/E TASKS The A/E shall furnish all services for a complete design development including construction documents, and construction period services as specified in the subject contract. Necessary site survey work and evaluation such as verifying existing conditions, existing loads, gradient, I&I, blockage, collapse, analyze and provide geotechnical surveys/report, verifying record drawings, and verifying and analyzing utility systems shall be accomplished in conjunction with the preparation of Design Development documents. A/E shall furnish documentation and drawings of these findings, and address deficiencies in the design process. The complete site survey work shall include a thorough investigation of existing conditions, affected by renovations, to accurately document and convey space dimensions for measured drawings, all utilities for affected areas, and utilities that traverse through affected areas, typical construction type and variations, and finishes. This information provides the necessary base drawings for the Schematic Development phase of Design Development. System verification shall include, but not be limited to, the necessary testing of affected systems to ascertain the existing operating and performance conditions that will impact the design and construction process. Systems that are insufficient in capacity or are no longer supported by OEM (original equipment) parts shall be considered for replacement. Geotechnical surveys are required for new construction, buildings, building expansion, parking lots and drives. The A/E will show existing utilities and systems on the drawings as best can be determined by as-builts, surveys, and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The A/E shall provide a detailed cost estimation, project scheduling & phasing, construction duration (PoP), solicitation support services and construction period services as further described in the contract. In the drawing documents, the A/E shall provide a detailed phasing plan to allow buildings to have redundant or temporary domestic water & fire suppression during construction. Temporary solutions will require A/E design. At SD (35%), the A/E shall provide two options of design with a rough order of magnitude for each for VA to provide direction on path desired. Both options are to be mutually exclusive/different in nature, but estimates will be provided for each. The VA may reject either option if deemed unsatisfactory at no additional cost to the government. The A/E shall provide bid document preparation in quantities specified in the contract. A/E shall provide professional design and construction period services utilizing individuals who are adequately knowledgeable of the various design disciplines as required by the project. Changes in personnel from those who are proposed in negotiations, interviews, kick-off meetings, and/or A/E submission forms must be approved by the VA. Submit requested change to Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer (CO) a minimum of 14 days prior to anticipated change. The registered individuals who stamp the completed design documents shall be those that accomplished the engineering design work. A/E shall design within funding limitations and coordinate cost control measures throughout the design. Primary, fundamental cost control alternatives shall be thoroughly explored in Design Development (DD s) and cost control/review shall be a critical part of each submission, thoroughly discussed at each review. Any submission with an estimate exceeding the base construction budget shall initiate a gate review, in which the A/E must develop and submit cost control measures, then make the corrections to the package (estimate, drawings, specifications) to get within budget, prior to being released to the next submission phase. In the event of budgetary issues, additional A/E presentations/meetings will be required to correct the budget issues. The A/E design and estimate shall identify viable deductive construction alternates (target 10% of the total construction budget). The A/E and their design team shall develop proposals to prioritize the bid deducts for construction. A/E shall review the proposals with the COR & CO to finalize the deductive alternates. The design must ensure proper life safety, including egress, proper fire/smoke compartmentation, fire alarm, sprinkler system, etc. The A/E shall provide a separately stamped Life Safety Sheet for the entire area within the submitted drawings. A/E will coordinate with leading industry equipment manufacturers/ vendor(s) as the basis of design and ensure proper layout and support of equipment per manufacturer s requirements. Design drawings and specifications shall be generic to promote fair and open competition. A/E shall identify and design for the removal of all hazardous material. Lead-based paint may be encountered. A/E will investigate and design for corrective action. Perform an asbestos survey to identify approximate quantities of ACM in type and location for complete abatement from the general limits of construction. Adjacent areas that are outside of these limits but are affected by construction for utility modifications or tie-ins shall limit abatement to the extent necessary to complete the utility work. The A/E will provide expertise during testing of all systems constructed and/ or modified by the design. The A/E shall review the Contractor's requests for information and cost proposals for construction change orders when requested by the COR. The A/E's reply regarding his/her review of cost proposals and his/her recommendations shall include an independent breakdown of costs in detail, quantities, and unit prices and shall cover both additions and deductions of labor, materials, and equipment. The A/E shall also supply cost estimates, as requested by the COR, for Request for Proposals for anticipated changes. A/E shall come onsite at SD, DD2, and CD2 to perform an onsite quality assurance review to verify design feasibility prior to moving to next design stage. The A/E will provide third party commissioning of all the systems constructed and/ or modified by the design of Replace Domestic Water /Fire Mains and Main Backflow Devices to include Mechanical, Plumbing, Controls, Fire Alarm, Data, Telecommunication, Civil, Geotechnical, environmental, electrical, Sanitary, and Infection Control. Any destructive testing deemed necessary for a full investigation shall be identified and performed by the A/E. The A/E shall size fire mains to ensure the VA Medical Center s fire suppression system maintains compliance. Replace existing fire hydrants in accordance with Rutherford County, TN and VA design guides. Add additional hydrants to system if deemed necessary by VA design guides. The A/E shall coordinate with Consolidated Utility District (CUD) and the City of Murfreesboro to ensure design and construction compatibility. BASIS FOR DESIGN Department of Veterans Affairs standards and VA Office of Construction & Facilities Management Design Guides can be obtained from the Internet at http://www.cfm.va.gov/TIL/. AWWA, ANSI, and EPA standards apply to all projects connecting to municipal mains. Coordination with the City of Murfreesboro and their regulations/specifications. Design Criteria including manuals, guides, processes, and equipment lists are located at https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/criteria.asp Design shall conform to the latest 003C2B-DA-142 (06-01-14) Patient Safety in VHA Bathrooms http://www.cfm.va.gov/TIL/dAlert/dAlert142.pdf VA PG 18-13 Barrier Free Design Standard. Comply with Nurse Call design guidance and requirements per NFPA 99, UL 1069 and facility standards. Discussions regarding new facility system/standard shall be addressed during Schematics. VA design guidance can be found on the TIL at https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dManual/dmTelecomm.pdf. Design guides (PG18-12) shall also be reviewed to ensure compliance. https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dGuide.asp The A/E shall design for a total construction budget of approximately $9.8 million. The planned budgetary amount will be provided during negotiations. The A/E design and estimate shall be within the total construction budget prior to viable deductive construction alternates. This will require individual estimates by clearly defined easily deductible areas and/or portions of work. The A/E shall not plan to infringe upon the contingency as part of their cost control measures. The contingency includes changes and additional construction period work and is utilized/obligated at the VA s discretion. The Contracting Officer (CO) shall possess the authority to raise the construction budget without incurring any extra expenses for the government, provided that the work remains within the defined scope. Comply with current federal, national, and international building codes and applicable state and local building codes and standards, as well as codes/standards from other recognized authoritative bodies. This includes, but is not limited to, authoritative bodies such as Associated Air Balance Council (AABC), American Concrete Institute (ACI), Acoustical and Insulating Materials Association (AIMA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Gypsum Association (GA), International Building Code (IBC), National Electric Code (NEC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB), National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA), Electronic Industry Alliance/ Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA), American Disabilities Act (ADA), American Barriers Act (ABA) and other applicable codes referenced in the VA design guidelines and Master Specifications. Designers shall indicate each applicable code with the current date, revision, version indicated on one sheet, including each applicable VA Guidelines / Standards. Submit this with the Schematic Design Submission and include with the drawing packages Comply with VA HVAC Design Guidelines at https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dManual/dmHVAC.pdf. . Indoor air quality requirements must be met / maintained, such as pandemic readiness, outside air percentages, air changes / CFM, and humidity. Design shall maintain building envelopes to prevent moisture infiltration and possible mold growth. Comply with VHA National Center for Patient Safety. http://www.patientsafety.va.gov/ Comply with H-18-8 Seismic Design Requirements and its adopted edition of the ICSSC RP Standards. https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/seismic.asp Comply with VA TIL, PG-18-3, Design and Construction Procedures for this NRM category project. http://www.cfm.va.gov/TIL/cPro.asp Comply with VA TIL, PG-18-15 for A/E Submission Requirements http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/aeDesSubReq.asp (Click Minor and NRM Projects). Each submission must have a PG-18-15 submitted. Any deviation from project requirements, guidelines, standards, or specifications shall be requested in writing and approved by the VA. The deviation request shall include an item for which deviation is requested and the reason or basis for the deviation. Designer shall maintain as list of any approved deviations with their reasoning and resolution. Code sheets shall be updated as appropriate. Ensure proper life safety and VA accessibility requirements. Code Analysis will be clearly defined on the Index Sheet of the Construction Documents. Comply with the Physical Security Design Manuals for VA Facilities. This is a Mission Critical Facility. http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/spclRqmts.asp#PHS. The required stamp of the licensed architect(s) and engineers of record will be considered as certification of compliance with the contract requirements. The registered individuals who stamp the final construction bid documents shall be the same lead designers that accomplish the assessments, surveys, interviews, and design work. Assessments shall also be stamped. The Certification and Accreditation (C&A) does not apply, a Security Accreditation Package is not required. Alvin C. York VA Medical Center is a historical site/campus. The A/E shall comply with SHPO and compile memorandum for SHPO compliance and concurrence. A/E shall maintain and provide the Project Design Compliance Review checklist at each submission. The checklist will be provided. DETAILED SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Program Guide PG-18-15 establishes the guidelines for the A/E submissions. The design shall be performed and submitted in accordance with VA A/E Submission Instructions for Minor and NRM Construction Program. Refer to (http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/aeDesSubReq.asp). These guidelines indicate a minimum level for submission compliance. Certain types of design may dictate more than the minimum to progress the design submissions/reviews and maintain the schedule. In some instances when critical decisions need to be made, adequate, relevant information must be provided timely for the design to progress to meet certain milestone dates. Questions regarding the applicability of specific requirements shall be resolved with the medical center staff, COR and Contracting Officer (CO) prior to any submission deadline. Where days are stated, this refers to calendar not work days. At each submission, all drawings and support material shall be dated and appropriately labeled above the title block (the number of submissions shall be adjusted according to the project size and scope). In addition to full electronic version of required documents, hardcopies shall be submitted in quantities indicated: Work Element Copies Duration (Calendar Days) Notice of Award Design Kick-off Meeting 10 days after Notice of Award Schematic SD (Planning & Concept) (35%) 2+ QA & redlines 60 Days after Design kickoff Government Review 14 Days after VA receipt of SD1 Design Development 1 (MS Teams Review) 2+ QA & redlines 56 Days after VA acceptance of SD2 Government Review 14 Days after VA receipt of DD1 Design Development 2 (65%) 2+ QA & redlines 41 Days after VA acceptance of DD1 Government Review 14 Days after VA receipt of DD2 Construction Document 1 (MS Teams Review) 2+ QA & redlines 56 Days after VA acceptance of DD2 Government Review 14 Days after VA receipt of CD1 Construction Document 2 2+ QA & redlines 41 Days after VA acceptance of CD1 Government Review 14 Days after VA receipt of CD2 100% Final Bid Documents 3 21 Days after VA acceptance of CD2 Final Acceptance Review 10 Days after VA receipt of Final Bid Documents Total Days Design Phase Schedule 365 Calendar Days Solicitation Support Services (Option Line Item) shall be performed for the length of time between the time the option is exercised and award of the construction project. Construction Period Services (Option Line Items) shall be performed for the length of time between the time the option(s) are exercised and acceptance of Construction Completion. Commissioning of systems (Option Line Items) shall be performed for the length of time between the time the option(s) are exercised and acceptance of Construction Completion. VA submission review comments may be verbal, noted directly on review sets, or written list. The A/E shall be responsible for compiling & addressing review comments. A/E shall produce & distribute meeting notes or minutes for VA review immediately after each submission review meeting. The A/E is responsible for running the meetings in person (1-2 hours) at the VA Campus or via Teams where work is being performed, reproduction of all meeting materials for review and producing the agenda, attendance, and full meeting minutes. An onsite design meeting (with lead designers in person) will be required for SD, DD2, CD2, and 100% submission. Group space surveys shall follow each submission review and A/E shall follow with additional onsite investigative work (1-2 hours) to verify conditions and conduct following interviews. A/E shall develop and execute a Quality Assurance (QA) plan that demonstrates the team approach and methodology for design review and improvements and code compliance, including fully documented comments / issues and resolutions / corrections. The QA process shall drive design review, improvement, and code compliance, including fully documented comments / issues and resolutions / corrections. The QA plan shall be submitted to the VA along with the project schedule and shall describe each QA task that will be taken during the development of the various design submission packages, including review of submissions. The design QA effort shall be led by a Senior Design Engineer and a Senior Architect and shall include Senior Designers for each trade. VA COR shall be invited to all QA meetings and reviews. Completion of each QA task shall be initialed and dated by the responsible QA team member. A 100% completed QA review shall be submitted with each A/E design submission, including the final construction bid document submission package. Cost review and cost control shall be part of each phase of the QA process and each design submission. The QA process shall produce deliverables included with each submission package, including but not limited to redline mark-ups and QA issue tracking sheets and a QA overview/narrative. QA teams shall review issues with the design team, so corrections are made prior to submission of each package. QA team shall be involved throughout design, installation, inspection, and testing. A final QA report shall include an overview/main narrative, designer certification letters of compliance for each discipline/trade, and final inspection list and tracking sheet of corrections.QA team leaders shall maintain a tracking sheet, mapping all code compliance issues from inception, review, and resolutions. Tracking sheet line-item activities shall include, date, issue, review and decision, responsible A/E designer and satisfactory resolution. Since the A/E is solely responsible for the design, VA Directed shall not be an acceptable explanation of compliance or resolution. The QA team leaders shall simultaneously copy the VA COR and Contracting Officer when producing/conveying any QA work product, (correspondence, observation lists, tracking, etc.). Any issues shall be discussed in group meetings and resolved to the satisfaction of the designers and QA team, then incorporated into the upcoming design submission package. Each submission will include electronic files in the latest version of Microsoft Office and/or AutoCAD 2020-2025. PDFs of the specifications will also be furnished. Submit hard copies in the quantities identified in the schedule of all drawings (one of which will be half-sized), narratives, tests, and other work products. Construction shop drawings are not required to be completed in AutoCAD. The 100% construction documents submission will include a full set of construction documents including all disciplines/packages and will be sealed and signed by the Architects and Engineers of Record. Submission packages, including the final construction documents, must incorporate/address all VA comments from the earlier submission package reviews. If submission packages, including the final construction documents, are not complete, the A/E must resubmit the package in its entirety. Construction Specifications - Project specifications shall include specifications for all products, materials, equipment, methods, and systems shown on the construction drawings per standard professional practice and the resulting contract. The specifications submitted for review shall include: The name of the manufacturer, the product name, model number, or other identification as appropriate to identify the product that will be used in the construction. Final bid documents shall be reproduced as part of the contract. Two (2) full sets and three (3) half sets of the Construction Bid Documents are to be delivered to the COR. Electronic files of the Construction Bid Documents will be provided to the COR and CO. Total time to accomplish Schematics, DDs, and CDs through final reproduced bid documents shall be 365 calendar days from the issuance of the Notice of Award. A/E shall prepare a schedule, including all design work, submissions, trips, reviews, demonstrations, testing, and other tasks/activities based upon their understanding of the design and their staffing workload. Solicitation Support Services (Option Item) Solicitation Support Services (Option Line Item): The A/E shall provide the following solicitation support services during the construction project s solicitation phase: Attend the pre-bid site visit, to include meeting and project walk-around. Contractors are invited to the job site to visually inspect the construction site to accurately develop a construction bid package. Answer any technical questions/requests for information (RFIs) received from contractors over the duration of the solicitation, including questions asked following the site visit. Questions from contractors may come at multiple times and cover several issues over the course of the solicitation period. Technical question responses will be provided to the Contracting Officer, who will distribute the information via amendment to the solicitation. Answers to RFIs will be required from the A/E within five (5) calendar days of the date the questions are sent to the A/E from either the project COR or CO. An alternate response period may be submitted for review, however, unless approved by the CO and COR, the A/E is required to comply with the five-calendar day requirement. Throughout the solicitation period, the A/E shall provide addenda as necessary if required to revise specs and drawings. In response to any technical questions and/or addenda issued during the solicitation period, the A/E shall provide any final revisions to the 100% Construction Documents as part of the construction contract. These documents shall be labeled Final Construction. CONSTRUCTION PERIOD SERVICE REQUIREMENTS (Option Items) Review of Submittals: A/E shall review all material submittals, shop drawings, test reports (as applicable), etc. Reviews shall be completed, and submittals returned to the VA COR within Seven (7) calendar days of the A/E's receipt of the submittal. Review Analysis of Requests for Information (RFI), Change Orders, and Costs: The A/E shall review the Contractor's requests for information and cost proposals for construction change orders when requested by the COR. The A/E's reply regarding his/her review of cost proposals and his/her recommendations shall include an independent breakdown of costs in detail, quantities, and unit prices and shall cover both additions and deductions of labor, materials, and equipment. The A/E shall also supply cost estimates as requested by the COR for Request for Proposals for anticipated changes. The A/E shall provide a prompt response when contacted by the CO, or COR, to review and provide analysis of construction contractor requests for information; change orders; and resulting cost adjustments due to omissions, errors, ambiguities, etc. RFI response time shall be no more than five (5) calendar days. Site Visits: A/E shall provide 15 site visits (1 designer onsite 8 hours) during the construction period when requested by the COR, in addition to pre-bid site survey/conference, structural base and footing inspections, in-wall inspection, above ceiling inspection and final inspection of each phase. A site visit unit is defined as a visit to the site by one individual for any part of a day when requested by the CO or COR. Multiple units when more than one individual or an extended period is needed to inspect an area of work. Only registered architects and engineers familiar with the project may make these site visits. The COR has the prerogative to determine the professional discipline(s) required for each site visit. The A/E shall notify the COR of their presence on site documenting the number of individuals who are making the site visit. The A/E shall observe the construction, advise the COR of any deviations or deficiencies, and recommend appropriate corrective actions. The A/E, when requested, shall assist the CO and COR to interpret the construction documents and shall: (1) recommend any action(s) deemed suitable for the satisfactory execution of the construction work; (2) prepare any supplemental drawings, specifications or other documents that may be required to clarify or supplement the construction documents; and (3) assess the preparation of Construction Contract Modifications initiated by or through VA to be executed in accordance with the Construction Documents. The A/E shall review the Contractor's requests for information (RFI s) and cost proposals for construction change orders when requested by the COR. The A/E's reply regarding his/her review of cost proposals and his/her recommendations shall include an independent breakdown of costs in detail, quantities, and unit prices and shall cover both additions and deductions of labor, materials, and equipment. The A/E shall also supply cost estimates as requested by the COR for Request for Proposals for anticipated changes. "Record Drawings" Requirement: A/E shall revise the solicitation documents if necessary and provide a complete set of all drawings showing actual, completed construction, and reflecting any changes incorporated in the work on hard (bond) copy and on electronic media. Electronic media drawings shall be in AutoCAD 2020-2025 and always electronically stamped. A/E shall load and demonstrate full AutoCAD compatibility at VA site. Compatibility means that data can be accessed directly by the target system without translation or processing of data files. Problems shall be corrected to the satisfaction of VA. Final electronic media specifications shall be in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF. MATERIALS TO BE FURNISHED TO THE A/E BY VA The following items will be furnished to the selected A/E: Available electronic media of the station site plans and building floor plans. The station does not have electronic versions of utilities (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, etc.). The accuracy of drawings is not guaranteed and shall be used for general information only. Actual conditions shall be field verified by the A/E. Utility and structural drawings will be made available to A/E at the TVHS Projects Section. A/E is to view drawings needed and may remove (same business day sign-out) to make copies at an offsite location. Facility Condition Assessment report.