Z--Wood River Cutoff Wall Construction

This is a SPECIAL NOTICE. No proposals are being requested or accepted with this notice. The Corps of Engineers St Louis District is soliciting comments from the construction community addressing the potential use of Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for a construction project (exceeding $20 million) within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering, St Louis District area of operations in IL and surrounding areas. This market survey is being posted for the Wood River Cutoff Wall Construction. Description of Work: The Wood River Drainage and Levee District levees are generally located along the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, between Alton, Illinois and Wood River, Illinois. Two slurry trench seepage cutoff walls will be constructed. In Alton, Illinois, the Upper Wood River shallow slurry trench wall will be constructed of a continuous soil-bentonite mix approximately 55 feet deep, approximately 1,600 feet long and approximately two to three feet wide. The slurry wall will be tied into a continuous clay layer approximately 50 feet below existing ground. Downstream of the Upper Wood River shallow slurry trench wall is the Lower Wood River deep slurry trench wall. The Lower Wood River deep slurry trench wall will be constructed with 20 to 30-foot long cement-bentonite mixture panels totaling approximately 1,900 feet in length, two to three-foot wide panels, 145 feet deep, and cut into limestone bedrock forming two to three-foot deep rock sockets in the limestone bedrock. The Lower Wood River deep slurry trench wall will be constructed through 5 to 20 feet of alternating strata of clays, silts, and sands underlain by 100 to 140 feet of poorly graded sands with zones of gravels, cobbles, and boulders. Glacial tills and shale may overlay the limestone bedrock and shall be excavated through down into the bedrock. Panel walls will be subject to strict verticality requirements constructed with guide walls at the top. Short stretches of jet grout columns may be required under, over, and around existing utilities and bridges. A test section will be required in order to prove that the proposed means and methods meet the contract requirements. PLA CONSIDERATIONS: A PLA is defined as a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project and is an agreement described in 29 U.S.C. 158(f). Accordingly, Offerors are requested to respond to this Special Notice regarding PLA with the following information. (1) Should PLAs be executed on this selected contract in IL and surrounding area? (2) Are there concerns by prime contractors on the availability of skilled construction labor? (3) Would a PLA benefit a project which contains a unique and compelling mission-critical schedule? (4) What type of project should be considered for PLA clauses? (5) How will the use of a PLA impact time required to complete the project? (6) How will the use of a PLA impact the cost of the project? (7) What other factors should the Corps consider before deciding to include PLA provisions in a St Louis Engineer District contract? (8) Please provide a list of recent (2-5 years) construction projects in the local labor market of the project under consideration. Include the following items: Project Name/Location/Project Description/Initial Cost Estimate/Actual Final Cost. Was the project completed on time? Number of craft trades present on the project? PLA (Y/N)? Were there any challenges experienced during the project? 1. 2. (9)Which trades are expected to be employed on this project? (10) Does the local market contain the sufficient number of available skilled workers for this project? Are there other projects in the vicinity going to limit the pool of skill labor available for your project? (11) Has a project like this been done before in the local market? (12) Have PLAs been used on comparable projects undertaken by the public sector in this geographic region? Have PLAs been used on this type of project in other regions? (13) Could a PLA contribute to cost savings in any of the following ways? -Harmonization of shifts and holidays between the trades to cut labor costs? -Minimization disruptions that may arise due to expiration of CBA? -Availability of trained, registered apprentices, efficient for highly skilled workforce? -Allowing for changes in apprentice to journeyman ration. -Serving as management tool that ensure highly skilled workers from multiple trades are coordinated in the most efficient way. -Others? (14) Could a PLA minimize risk and contribute to greater efficiency in any of the following ways? -Mechanisms to avoid delays -Complying with Davis Bacon and other labor standards, safety rules and EEO and OFCP laws. -Ensuring a steady supply of skilled labor in markets with low supply or high competition for workers. (15) Are there ways in which a PLA might increase costs on this particular project? (16) Is the use of PLAs conducive to ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other relevant matters? Are there instances where these standards have not been met on Federal contracts in the local area? Were PLAs used for those specific contracts? (17) Projects will require multiple construction contractors and/or subcontractors employing workers in multiple crafts or trades. Do you foresee any work on projects that may result in both the prime contractor and at least one subcontractor, or two or more subcontractors, employing the same trade? (18) How will a PLA impact the completion time? Would a PLA benefit a project which contains a unique and compelling mission-critical schedule? (19) Where have PLAs been used on comparable projects undertaken by Federal, State, municipal, or private entities in the geographic area of this project? (20). Will the use of PLAs impact the ability of potential Offerors and subcontractors to meet small business utilization goals? TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Upper Wood River - Shallow Cutoff Wall 1. How does the contractor propose to construct a continuous soil-bentonite cutoff wall to depths of 55 feet? 2. How does the contractor propose to construct a continuous soil-bentonite cutoff wall in soil conditions ranging from sands, gravels, zones of cobbles, and zones of boulders? 3. How does the contractor propose to construct the wall using a soil-bentonite backfill with a minimum permeability of approximately 1x10-6cm/s? (to be determined during design) 4. How does the contractor propose to verify that the required permeability has been met through permeability testing of wet grab samples obtained from various depths? 5. How does the contractor propose to maintain the slurry within 2 feet of the ground surface? 6. An equipment list shall be provided. The list shall include the number and types of equipment the contractor plans to use for the continuous soil-bentonite cutoff wall. Lower Wood River - Deep Cutoff Wall 1. How does the contractor propose to excavate narrow two to three-foot wide panels, 20 to 30 feet long excavations, with depths of 145 feet deep using panel construction in alluvial deposits ranging from clays, silts, sands, gravels, cobbles, and boulders? 2. How does the contractor propose to meet a maximum 1% verticality requirement in excavating into alluvial deposits ranging from clays, silts, sands, gravels, cobbles, and boulders? 3. How does the contractor propose to socket the bottom of the wall panels approximately 2 to 3 ft into limestone bedrock at depths of 145 feet? 4. How does the contractor propose to meet minimum permeability requirements? (possibly 1x10-6cm/s to be determined during design) 5. How does the contractor propose to construct a cement-bentonite wall that meets a specified strength range between 75 and 100 psi? (to be determined during design) 6. How does the contractor propose to obtain wet grab samples of the cement bentonite slurry at various depths throughout the panel wall construction? 7. How does the contractor propose to perform strength and permeability tests on those wet- grab samples? 8. How does the contractor propose to continuously maintain the top of the slurry/backfill within 2 feet of the ground surface? 9. How does the contractor propose to construct cement-bentonite jet-grouted columns to depths of 145 ft around and below utilities and bridges? 10. An equipment list shall be provided of the number and types of equipment the contractor plans to use for the construction of 145-foot deep, 20 to 30-foot long cement-bentonite panels excavated down into limestone bedrock two to three feet deep. 11. How does the contractor propose to construct 145-foot deep, jet grouted columns around and under utilities and bridges? 12. An equipment list shall be provided. List shall include the number and types of equipment the contractor plans to use for the construction of 145-foot deep, jet grouted columns. Interested Offerors shall respond to this Special Notice no later than 13 May 2013. Mail, or E-mail your response to U.S. Army Engineer St. Louis District, Attn: CEMVS-CT/ Contracting Division, Attn: Barrietta Killiebrew, St Louis District, Corps of Engineers, 1222 Spruce Street, Room 4.207, St Louis, Missouri, 63103-2833 or e-mail to contact@example.gov. No Faxing. This Special Notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information solicited. Please direct any questions on this announcement to Barrietta Killiebrew at the addresses shown above. Contracting Office Address: U.S Army Corps of Engineers St Louis District, Contracting Division 1222 Spruce Street, Room 4.207 St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2833 United States Place of Performance: Eastern bank of the Mississippi River, between Alton, Illinois and Wood River, Illinois. United States Primary Point of Contact: Barrietta Killiebrew Contract Specialist contact@example.gov Phone: +1 (555) 000-0000