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Campus Boiler Replacements at Northern Illinois University
October 12, 2021
At their regularly scheduled meeting on October 12, 2021 the Capital Development Board concurred with the Design-Build Selection Committee's recommendation to award the contract to AMS Mechanical Systems, Inc.
TEAMS SHORTLISTED FOR PHASE II
AMS Mechanical Systems, Inc.
Mechanical, Inc. dba Helm Mechanical Proposal did not comply with RFP requirements and was rejected on September 13, 2021
All of the teams that submitted responsive submittals in Phase I were shortlisted to move on to Phase II.
NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADVERTISE
The Capital Development Board ("CDB") intends to issue (on or after March 31, 2021) a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the following Design-Build project:
CDB Project No. 822-010-127
Campus Boiler Replacements
DeKalb, DeKalb County, Illinois
Project Budget - $15,117,630.00
Pre-Submittal Meeting
There will be a Pre-Submittal Meeting held at 2:00pm on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 via Webex:
Join from the meeting link: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=md174d5ece08dc40b60f806f34bb0823b
Join by meeting number
Meeting number (access code): 133 498 2387
Meeting password: hyTjnq2dP47
PowerPoint from Pre-Submittal Meeting
Phase II Pre-Proposal Meeting
A Pre-Proposal Meeting was held via Webex at 10:00am on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.
Updated August 18, 2021
- Are there ACM testing reports available for the work areas? Specifically, the boilers to be removed in both the East and West Heating Plants. Have they identified asbestos materials inside the boilers and/or the outer insulation (between the vessel and jacket)?
- Revised Project Manual, Section 074213.19, 1.4, B, #4: Calls out for exterior finish of IMPs to be a 3 coat Kynar system with a metallic color coat. Please advise if a manufacturer's standard 2 coat Kynar finish panel can be used, as the 3 coat metallic finish is much more costly.
- Revised Project Manual, Section 074213.19, 1.4, B, #5: Calls out for interior finish of IMPs to be a Kynar color. Please advise if the manufacturer's standard interior finish of IMPs is a standard silicone modified polyester wash coat in off white is acceptable, as a Kynar interior skin is much more costly.
- Revised Project Manual, Section 074213.19, 1.4, B, #1: Calls out for the panel edges to be wrapped. Since these panels are not being installed in a vertical fashion only the tongue and groove interlocking sides of the panel are wrapped edges. Please confirm that the top and bottom of the panel do not need to have their panel edges wrapped as this is much more costly.
- In various locations of the specifications there is reference to the NIU Design and Construction Standards. Please provide these documents for our review.
- Revised Project Manual, Section 003132 Geotechnical Data, 1.1, B - references a geotechnical investigation report that is appended to this document. The geotechnical report was not included, please provide this.
- Please advise if soil testing has occurred for the area of work in order to legally dispose of excess spoils offsite.
- Per the Revised Bridging Document Project Manual Section 235233 H2. Says, "2. Needs to be remotely viewable a. Similar to existing Burner Management System (new /East Boilers 1 & 2, 2016)" The East Boilers 1 and 2 do not have a remote operator interface (i.e. control room). Please clarify a control room for the two new boilers is requested and whether ethernet connection to the PLCs located at the boilers is acceptable or if hard control wiring to PLC for key points is required.
- Per the Revised Bridging Document Project Manual Section 012300 D Alternate Bid No. 4: …Concrete equipment pad to remain." D-2 drawing also says in note 1 "existing concrete pad to remain." Please clarify this pad is still requested to remain.
- Please provide existing electrical one line drawings of West and East plant. Use E-1 drawing in Bridging Documents/Existing drawings are not available. (UPDATED 08/19/2021)
- Please provide any additional existing structural steel drawings of the South and North wall of the West Heating Plant.
- Requested ramp rate for the boilers. We do not see a required lb/hr steam ramp rate up/down for the new 75,000 lb/hr boilers.
- Optional hot stand by – does NIU want the new boilers to have hot standby capabilities? Per 235233-2, Watertube Boiler, 1.3.J.3.d: It is unclear as to whether a flue gas stack damper is required as this section pertains to combustion air. If the boiler is to be in hot standby, then stack dampers will be required.
- Table 9.1 in BOD. The maximum emission rates lb/hr per boiler is specified. Does NIU project this to apply to all loads of the boiler? Or only control load to full load? What would the low load control load for the 75,000 lb/hr new boiler be expected to be?
- Please provide the Architectural life safety plan, including wall ratings, for new structure.
- Please provide a set of Bridging document plans in a .dwg format.
- Section 00 42 10-C-5 of RFP for this project refers to specific "page limits" for each proposal section. These are defined in Phase 1. We do not see any page Maximums define for Phase 2 proposal. Are there Maximum page numbers for Phase 2 proposal sections? If so, what are the amounts, by section?
The current asbestos management plan along with recent test reports has been posted to the project's web page.
This will be changed to a 2 coat finish by Amendment.
This will be changed to a standard interior finish of silicone modified polyester wash coat in off white by Amendment.
The complete NIU Standards, current as of 1/26/2016, may be downloaded in PDF format:
www.niu.edu/aes/resources/standards
Report of Soils Exploration completed by Testing Services Corporation/TSC dated August 27, 2019 will be included in an Amendment.
Report of Soils Exploration completed by Testing Services Corporation/TSC dated August 27, 2019 will be included in an Amendment. This has been posted to the webpage (see above).
Drawing A-2 shows a control across from the future boiler #3 and the intention is for this to be included. Typically, each boiler will have a cabinet with hard wired control elements, sensors, and alarms. Ideally, each boiler should have a Local/Remote switch so that in the event of a Plant Master failure the boiler can be run in Hand or Auto by itself without need of P
Existing concrete pad to remain.
The requested drawings will be provided and posted to the web page for this project in the next couple of days.
Additional existing structural steel drawings of the South and North wall of the West Heating Plant are not available. Refer to Sheets A-2, A-3 and A-4 dated 2-16-1973 of the adjacent Central Incineration Plant for additional information. These will be posted to the web page for this project.
As we understand it, the ramp rate is typically determined by the boiler, burner management system, and/or controls manufacturer. With that said, we would want the ramp rate to be as quick as safely possible.
Currently, offline boilers are kept "hot" by introduction low pressure steam at approximately 5 psig into the top vents. Unless they were already built-in and do not add cost, we do not see a need to include heat exchangers int the mud drums to keep the boilers hot. Dampers may be beneficial on this project in order to protect the economizer. It would need to include methods for determining damper position (visually and via sensors) when the boiler is operating to ensure that it had not failed.
Follow Air Permit requirements but these are for a base loaded unit at maximum load. Boiler supplier to provide part load emissions that comply with the Air Permit restrictions.
Refer to sheet G-2 for Life Safety Plan with wall ratings.
These have been posted to the web page for this project.
There are no page limits within Phase II proposal.
Updated August 19, 2021
- Page 25 of 32, 11.11.A - Note that the site gas pressure step down station is currently set to reduce from 60 psig to 20 psig. Please confirm if it is possible to reconfigure the outlet pressure to 30 psig for valve train sizing.
- 235233-2, Watertube Boiler, 1.3.H.2: Remotely viewable can be done with either a 4-20mA output signal of the drum level process variable for continuous remote monitoring of drum level or through an Eye-Hye. Need clarification as to what type of remote viewing is required.
- 235233-2, Watertube Boiler, 1.3.H.2.a: What is similar to existing Burner Management System (new/East boilers 1 & 2 2016). The specification does not state what is existing BMS on new/East boilers 1 & 2.
- 235233-2, Watertube Boiler, 1.3.J.3.d: It is unclear as to whether a flue gas stack damper is required as this section pertains to combustion air. If the boiler is to be in hot standby, then stack dampers will be required. Please confirm if a flue gas stack damper is to be included or not.
Changes to site gas pressure will require Contractor to work and contract with NiCOR on changes to utility owned equipment.
This is a design detail that will be determined by the Design-Build contractor.
The current product in use at the East Heating Plant is Advanced BMS stand-alone device with its own PLC and touch screen but it is not tied into a Plant Master currently.
Currently, offline boilers are kept "hot" by introduction low pressure steam at approximately 5 psig into the top vents. Unless they were already built-in and do not add cost, we do not see a need to include heat exchangers int the mud drums to keep the boilers hot. Dampers may be beneficial on this project in order to protect the economizer. It would need to include methods for determining damper position (visually and via sensors) when the boiler is operating to ensure that it had not failed.
Updated August 27, 2021
- The design criteria on the General Notes of the Structural Drawings do not prescribe anything for the exterior curtainwall with respect to Windborne Debris-Impact Resistance nor Blast Mitigation. Item 1.3 B of Specification Section 084413 – Glazed Aluminum Curtainwalls lists ASTM E1886 for Windborne Debris-Impact Resistance and ASTM F1642 for Blast Mitigation and also refers to Florida Building Code while project is located in Illinois. Please clarify the design intent and design criteria for both blast mitigation and windborne debris impact.
- Also, please clarify the above requested design criteria for the building envelope with respect to the items in 4.3 C-D – E on pages 7 and 9 of 32 of the Basis of Design Document dated 03/09/2021 issued with the bid documents. Please include which openings on which elevations are impacted or not by this unique design requirement.
- CDB “Design Build Pricing Schedule” makes allowances to tabulate Bridging document base pricing, Betterments and Deviations. We do not see a section for tabulating listed Alternates. How would you like the Alternates listed to allow for objective evaluati
- CDB RFI responses published 4-15-21 refer to a pending soil report to be issued by Amendment. To date, we have not seen this amendment issued. Has Amendment been issued? If so, what is location?
- Regarding submission of Volume II Pricing. The DBPS, page 2, allows for breakout of Betterment and Deviation items for evaluation by CDB. There is no breakout listing for required “Alternates”, Only a summary of costs under column H. Alternates, Betterments and Deviations typically stand alone and may be selected individually based on best interest of CDB/NIU. How would you like the Alternates to be listed on the bid form to best allow for CDB evaluation and selection?
- Regarding submission of Volume II Pricing. Project RFP calls for Technical and Cost submitted as “two separate documents”. Is the intent for proposal submission to be a single posting with two separate documents, or two completely separate postings?
- Regarding low voltage wiring systems. ITB docs defer to RFP (basis of design) documents. There is no information on the bridging documents regarding these systems. We can furnish if NIU provides direction. If no information is provided for scope of work, we cannot provide these systems. Please identify Type/category, connectors, quantities and locations of IT drops.
Refer to Revised Section 08 44 13 – Glazed Aluminum Curtain Walls.
BOD 4.3 Building Envelope Characteristics C. Boiler Room Building area curtain wall will be provided as specified within Revised Section 08 44 13 - Glazed Aluminum Curtain Walls.
A new Design-Build Schedule of Betterments & Alternates (DBSBA) will be issued by Amendment on 08/27/21. Betterments and Alternates will not play a role in evaluation scoring of the cost proposal and will only come into play after a team has been selected when determining the final scope/cost of the contract.
This report as been posted with other supplemental materials above.
A new Design-Build Schedule of Betterments & Alternates (DBSBA) will be issued by Amendment on 08/27/21. Betterments and Alternates will not play a role in evaluation scoring of the cost proposal and will only come into play after a team has been selected when determining the final scope/cost of the contract.
The intent is a single posting containing multiple documents. One file for each of the Volumes of the proposal.
Please refer to NIU Standard 27 0000 Communications on the NIU Facilities Management and Campus Services site (https://www.niu.edu/facilities/aes/standards.shtml). IT connections to be included are as follows: lighting control, BAS connection, phone connections, data drops, and wifi connection.