C--A/E - Cooling Tower Replacement

The Government is seeking professional design services from an architect-engineering (A/E) firm to develop working drawings and specifications for project: #646-09-1126, Cooling Tower Replacement at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15240. GENERAL: Develop construction contract drawings and specifications to add one (1) chiller and one (1) cooling tower to the chilled water system for the University Drive Division of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. This work includes geotechnical investigation, architectural, electrical, mechanical (including controls), plumbing, structural, asbestos abatement, monitoring, and site modifications of the existing chilled water plant. SPECIFICS: The project involves architectural and engineering services required to upgrade the existing chilled water plant, including but not limited to, the following: Evaluation and design for providing 50% redundancy to the existing chilled water system by adding one (1) water-cooled centrifugal chiller and one (1) forced-draft type cooling tower. Capacity of the new chiller shall match the capacity of the largest installed chiller, i.e., 1250 tons of refrigeration when rated at Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) conditions. Evaluate the capacity of the existing chilled water plant and anticipated cooling load to verify the required tonnage of the additional chiller to achieve 50% redundancy in capacity. Anticipated cooling load shall include the cooling loads of the Consolidation Building currently under construction and the Research Office Building currently in design, as well as all other projects currently under construction or design that will impact the cooling load. Provide additional plant components such as chilled water pumps, condenser water pumps, and required controls. Chiller and additional plant components shall be compatible with the existing chilled water system. Size chilled water and condenser water piping mains for total installed capacity. Evaluation and design for reconfiguration of the existing chilled water system, including the interface with the existing energy management system and graphics display. Evaluation and design modifications to the existing electrical distribution system to provide sufficient power to all new components and DDC controls associated with the upgrade of the chilled water system. Evaluation and design modifications to the existing structure to accommodate all additional loads and impacts to the affected areas resulting from the upgrade of the chilled water system. New chiller shall be located in a new building addition on the east side of the existing chiller plant, Building 8. New cooling tower shall be located on the roof of this addition, with the cooling tower sump elevation at the same elevation as the existing cooling tower sumps. The addition shall be connected to Building 6, but the addition design shall consider the future demolition of Building 6. Design shall include the demolition and relocation of the existing HVAC maintenance office currently located on the east side of the chiller plant. New location of office shall be the existing room located in the heat recovery equipment room located between the existing chiller plant and the existing boiler plant. Design shall include fiber optics wiring necessary for the energy management control center to be located in the new HVAC maintenance office. The new HVAC maintenance office shall receive all new finishes. Design shall include the demolition of the incinerator building located south of the existing HVAC maintenance office. Demolition is necessary to provide space for the new building addition. Evaluation and design modifications to the existing chiller plant access road and grounds affected by the building addition. Evaluation and design modifications to the existing plumbing system servicing the affected space to provide sufficient supply and return lines for all new HVAC equipment and rerouting of existing plumbing, including sprinkler piping, resulting from the upgrade of the chilled water system. Design for repairs and revisions to all interior and exterior finishes, including roofs, floors, ceilings, casework, doors, windows, and wall surfaces, affected by the HVAC, plumbing, structural, and electrical distribution modifications. Finishes shall match existing finishes wherever possible. Field verification of existing space and existing utilities servicing the affected space. Design and C.I.H. Services for asbestos abatement of the renovated space including the monitoring of abatement activities, air sampling, and final Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) clearances of containment areas. Construction associated with the upgrade of the chilled water system shall be addressed in multiple phases to allow for hospital operations to continue during construction. Phasing will be determined during the 50% Design Review meeting. Phasing work shall be completed within budget while allowing the VA to continue operations with minimal interference. Recommend bid alternatives as necessary to meet the budget limitations. The project shall follow the guidelines established in the VA Pittsburgh Master Space Plan to enhance services at the University Drive Division. All designs shall be in compliance with space criteria as referenced in VA Handbook 7610. A/E is responsible for providing certified industrial hygiene services to perform asbestos survey investigations, bulk sampling, development of specifications and drawings, and construction period services. All designs shall be accomplished in accordance with VA guidelines and VA master specifications, which are available on the Internet at http://www.va.gov/facmgt/standard. A/E shall pay particular attention to UFAS, NFPA, BOCA, VA Handbook 7610 space criteria and VA Program Guide PG-18-12 Design Guides. The A/E shall make site visits as necessary to survey existing conditions as required to determine existing as-built conditions affecting this project. A/E shall field verify all dimensions. A/E must be proficient in the use of Auto Cad 2007 and have access to Microsoft Word 5.0 or higher. Estimated cost of construction is between $2,000,000 and $5,000,000. This procurement is unrestricted, open to both small and large businesses. Interested firms shall submit three (3) copies of current SF 330 to the attention of Cheryl Weidner, Contracting Officer 04A1-H, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, 7180 Highland Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. The NAICS code is 541330 with a small business size standard of $4.5 million. Due date for SF 330's is Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 4:00 PM Eastern Time. This is not a request for proposal. Numbered Note #24.