C--Revise and Update VA HVAC Master Construction Specifications

This is a Sources Sought Notice. This notice does NOT constitute a request for proposal or request for quote. This Sources Sought is a market research tool being utilized to determine if there are a sufficient number of qualified vendors for set-aside prior to issuing a request. In conjunction with Public Law 109-461, the Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) are seeking vendors in the following: Service Disable Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) Do not request a copy of a solicitation.Respondents will NOT be notified of the results of this noticeNo reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this Sources Sought Notice or any follow-up information requested. All responses will be provided by an e-mail response. No presentations will be scheduled.CFM is conducting market research for a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Senior Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineers and

supporting staff to revise and update the current 26 Sections of Division 23 VA Master Construction Specifications. The Subject Matter Expert shall have the following qualifications:The SME shall be a registered professional mechanical engineer.The SME shall have a proven record of accomplishment and a minimum of 15 years of working experience in design, testing, troubleshooting, and construction of the HVAC systems for various healthcare facilities including complete hospital design.The SME shall be knowledgeable of and have experience in applying applicable codes, federal government and private industry standards, and current technology trends.The SME shall have recent similar experience in writing VA Master Construction Specification for healthcare related projects within the last 3 years.The SME shall have thorough knowledge of the content and format of the VA documents located in the VA Technical Information Library (TIL).The Consultant shall submit qualifications and experience of the SME for VA review and approval.PARTIES INVOLVEDConsultants: TBDContracting Officer: TDBContracting Officer Representative (COR): TDBDETAIL SCOPE OF WORKThe consultants shall perform the following tasks:Perform all necessary work items (listed below) to revise and update the following VA HVAC mechanical specification sections in their entirety.23 05 41Noise and Vibration Control for HVAC Piping and Equipment (in SOW)2015-0223 05 93Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing for HVAC (in SOW)2015-0223 09 23Direct-Digital Control System for HVAC (in SOW)2015-12 23 23 00Refrigerant Piping (in SOW)2015-0223 25 00HVAC Water Treatment (in SOW)2015-0223 31 00HVAC Ducts and Casings (in SOW)2013-0323 34 00HVAC Fans (in SOW)2015-0223 36 00Air Terminal Units (in SOW)2015-0223 37 00Air Outlets and Inlets (in SOW)2015-0223 38 13Commercial-Kitchen Hoods (in SOW) 2011-0123 40 00HVAC Air Cleaning Devices (in SOW) 2012-0123 56 00Solar Energy Heating System (in SOW)2016-0623 57 33Geothermal Energy - Direct Use (Heating Applications in SOW)2016-0623 64 00Packaged Water Chillers (in SOW) 2011-0423 65 00Cooling Towers (in SOW)2015-0223 72 00Air-to-Air Energy Recovery Equipment (in SOW) 2011-0223 73 00Indoor Central-Station Air-Handling Units (in SOW) 2011-0423 74 13Packaged, Outdoor, Central-Station Air-Handling Units (in SOW) 2011-0423 81 00Decentralized Unitary HVAC Equipment (in SOW) 2011-0223 81 23Computer-Room Air-Conditioners (in SOW) 2011-0423 81 43Air-Source Unitary Heat Pumps (in SOW) 2011-0423 81 46Water-Source Unitary Heat Pumps (in SOW) 2011-0423 81 49Ground-Source Heat Pumps (in SOW)2015-0623 82 00Convection Heating and Cooling Units (in SOW) 2011-0423 82 16Air Coils (in SOW) 2011-0423 84 00Humidity Control Equipment (in SOW)2011-04Also, perform all necessary work to coordinate with the following VA HVAC mechanical specification sections (listed below) in their entirety.23 05 10Common Work Results for Boiler Plant and Steam Generation (NIC)2017-0223 05 11Common Work Results for HVAC (NIC) 2017-0223 05 12General Motor Requirements for HVAC and Steam Generation Equipment (NIC)2017-0223 05 51Noise and Vibration Control for Boiler Plant (NIC)2017-0223 07 11HVAC and Boiler Plant Insulation (NIC)2017-0223 08 00Commissioning of HVAC Systems (NIC)2016-1123 08 11Demonstrations and Tests for Boiler Plant (NIC)2017-0223 09 11Instrumentation and Control for Boiler Plant (NIC)2017-0223 10 00Facility Fuel Systems (NIC)2017-0223 11 23Facility Natural-Gas Piping (NIC)2017-0223 21 11Boiler Plant Piping Systems (NIC)2017-0223 21 13Hydronic Piping (NIC) 2017-0223 21 23Hydronic Pumps (NIC)2017-0223 22 13Steam and Condensate Heating Piping (NIC)2017-0223 22 23Steam Condensate Pumps (NIC)2017-0223 50 11Boiler Plant Mechanical Equipment (NIC) 2017-0223 51 00Breechings, Chimneys, and Stacks (NIC) 2017-0223 52 25Low-Pressure Water Heating Boilers (NIC) 2017-0223 52 33Water-Tube Boilers (NIC)2017-0223 52 39Fire-Tube Boilers (NIC)2017-02Update references and applicable publications for dates, titles, and technical contents in each of the specification sections.Consultant shall conduct research on products affected by the latest code requirements and technological innovations that the Consultant recommends for inclusion or deletion in the updated specifications. Where changes are proposed, provide pertinent reference and/or copy of reference to industry technical information and documents in support of proposed changes.Proposed changes shall be based on current VA Policies, Design Manuals and Directives; latest trends in design practices; the latest industry trends, Federal Mandates for energy and water conservation and sustainability; CSI MasterFormat numbers & titles, and all applicable codes and guidelines including the International Mechanical Code (IMC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Applicable codes and standards shall include the most recently published version.The Updated Specification Sections shall be fully coordinated with al VA Master Construction Specifications, design manuals and design guides and design alerts. Each specification shall reference VA Master Construction Specification 01 18 11 Sustainable Design Requirements. Add SPEC WRITER NOTES to emphasize the use of sustainable products to assist end users in specification development and product selection.Biobased specification language shall be added were appropriate. For each specification, determine if product categories within the updated specification are included in USDA s BIOPREFERRED PROGRAM PRODUCT CATEGORIES . If a product is included in USDA s program, then:Add the following general statement to Part 1 of the specification. Bio-based Materials: For products designated by the USDA s Bio-Preferred program, provide products that meet or exceed USDA recommendations for bio-based content, so long as products meet all performance requirements in this specifications section. For more information regarding the product categories covered by the Bio-Preferred program, visit http://www.biopreferred.gov .Ensure there is nothing written within the specification specifically prohibiting, or otherwise precluding, the use of biobased products that meet all other VA performance requirements.Provide a list of all specifications developed or updated under this SOW. Indicate which specifications contain products covered under USDA s biopreferred product categories and if the specification includes the appropriate language. See example below.EXAMPLEVA Master Construction Specification #Specification contains products in USDA s BioPreferred Products Category (Y/N)Biobased specification language was added to update specification (Y/N)01 51 00.11 Built-Up Bituminous Roofing, Hot-AppliedY Construction (Roof Coatings)YInclude and clearly identify all changes resulting from new or updated references. Use Microsoft Word document as the primary word processing method and use track changes to identify proposed changes.Provide spec writer notes (separate from the specification text) as needed to ensure clear understanding of specification requirements and what edits are needed to finalize a specification for contractual use.Provide recommendations for revision relative to all other related Master Construction Specifications and standards listed on the TIL but not included in this SOW. Provide revisions to these documents as authorized by the VA.All updates shall be in the VA s format for Master Construction Specifications.Identify all abbreviations used in the specifications.Use VA National CADD Standard (NCS) Details, Symbols, and Abbreviations. Unit of measurement shown in the specification sections shall have metric units in front of foot-pound units in brackets. Applicable Publications shall be shown with the latest published years for all specification sections.Comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all other applicable laws, regulations and guidelines of authorities having jurisdiction and VA convention. Refer to http://www.section508.gov/. Section 508 requires that Federal Agencies electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. This work includes, but is not limited to providing aptly descriptive text equivalent for informational non-text elements in documents (provide double quotes for non-informational images such as logos), identifying row and column headers, and using fonts that are readable by assistive technology. Documents delivered in Adobe PDF format must be viewable by Adobe Reader 7.0 or previous, must be tagged, and an accessibility report generated following a full check with all options included must have no potential accessibility errors identified by Adobe. Any errors identified must be repaired in the original document to render a clean accessibility report.Follow Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part XI for modifying any existing or developing any new information. FAR web site https://www.acquisition.gov/far/ Provide succinct, direct, and precise language. Avoid technical jargons and lengthy/aimless language.Proof-read all progress submissions to be free of format, grammar, and spelling errors before submitting it to VA.Work collaboratively with VA staff to ensure timely and effective communication that will result in consensus on all issues.Participate in meetings, electronic mailing, and telephone/conference calls with the VA staff, as needed.Submit a proposed project schedule in Microsoft Project or other format acceptable to the VA for review and concurrence at the Kickoff Meeting.Progress submissions shall be clearly labeled and well organized.Attend three (3) formal meetings with VA Review Team in VA CFM Headquarters in Washington, DC one (1) one-day Kickoff meeting, two (2) one-day progress review meetings (50% and 90%). Duration of each formal meeting will be one (1) 8-hour working day. Besides the three formal meetings, the consultant shall lead and participate in six (6) two-hour conference calls. DELIVERABLES AND SCHEDULEThree (3) progress submissions (50%, 90% & pre-final), and one (1) final 100% submission of all revised documents as listed in the Detail Scope of Work are required:For the 50%, 90% and pre-final submissions, the consultant shall provide VA with one (1) sets of hard-copy in three ring binders, and six (6) sets of CD-ROMs containing electronic files of the documents in Microsoft Word, at least twenty-one (21) calendar days prior to the progress review meetings. Where new design products are proposed, provide pertinent reference and/or copy of reference to industry technical information and documents in support of proposed changes.For the 100% final submission, the consultant shall provide six (6) set of hard copy, and six (6) sets of CD-ROMs containing the electronic file of the documents in Microsoft Word and PDF formats to VA by the contract project deadline, after the pre-final submission is accepted by the VA.The final 100% submission shall include a completed Modification Summary Sheet that documents the changes and updates made to each specification section. One form shall be completed for each updated section. The COR will provide a blank electronic version of the required form.Provide a list of all specifications developed or updated under this SOW. Indicate which specifications contain products covered under USDA s bio-preferred product categories and if the specification includes the appropriate language.Contract terms: 180 calendar days from the contract award date.The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541310 Architectural Services, with a Small Business Size Standard of $7.5 million. Information sought: Response to this Sources Sought Notice shall not exceed 10 pages and should include the following information: (1) A tailored capability statement indicating the firm s ability to provide a related services (2) The respondents DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., SDVOSB/VOSB, etc.,) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code (3) Information should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. All respondents should be registered on the SAM located at https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1 and Vendor Information Page https://www.vip.vetbiz.gov/. NOTE: Comments will be shared with the Government and the project management team, but otherwise will be held in strict confidence. Failure to submit all information requested may result in a contractor not being considered as an interested concern.All responses to the Sources Sought Notice must be via email to the Contracting Officer Deborah Faulkner at deborah.faulkner@va.gov (subject line Sources Sought Notice# VA101-17-N-0412) by 5:00 pm est., July 26, 2017. At this time no solicitations exist; therefore, DO NOT REQUEST A SOLICITATION package. Contact Information: Deborah FaulknerContracting Officedeborah.faulkner@va.gov Office Address :Department of Veterans Affairs;Office of Construction and;Facilities Management (003CB4);425 I Street, NW;Washington DC 20420 Location: Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Facilities Management Set Aside: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business