Lake Townsend Dam Project - BidNet

CITY OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES NORTH FORK DAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION OF PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS

The City of Asheville Department of Water Resources (Owner) is the Owner of the North Fork Dam and Water Treatment Plant and is planning to solicit bids for furnishing all materials, labor, tools, and equipment for the construction work necessary to complete the project improvements described herein. All construction activities must be completed with the reservoir at or near full pond, and without interruption of normal operations of the water treatment facility. The Owner intends to start construction in the second quarter of 2017. The Construction Period is estimated to be approximately 25 months. Pre-qualification of prospective bidders (Applicants) for this project is required by the Owner. Pre-qualification shall be based on the information provided in response to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). All information shall be provided in writing, and is considered the Application for Pre-qualification (Application). Sealed Applications shall be received by: Jade Dundas, Director City of Asheville Water Resources Department Physical Address (FedEx, UPS): Mailing Address (USPS): City Hall Building – Mezzanine Floor PO Box 7148 70 Court Plaza Asheville, NC 28802 Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 259-5955 (828) 259-5955 Due: November 21, 2016 2:00:00 PM local time Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. local time on November 21, 2016. Applications received after this time will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be opened. Only printed applications will be accepted – no fax or email copies will be considered. Questions or requests for clarification related to this RFQ must be made in writing via email in accordance with the requirements specified in this RFQ. Requests must be received by 5:00 pm local time on November 2, 2016 at the above address. The pre-qualification of an Applicant shall not constitute a determination that the Applicant will be deemed a responsive or a responsible bidder.

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DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES CITY ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA __________________________________ Jade Dundas Director of Water Resources

ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1 – General Project Terms Attachment 2 – Project Background and Scope Attachment 3 – Requirements for the Application Attachment 4 –Protest Procedure Exhibit A – Application for Prequalification Exhibit B - Applications Scoring Matrix

The foregoing shall not be considered a complete description of the work, but rather a general indicator of the nature of the work required for this project. Schedule for Prequalification Process Activity Prequalification Application available Last Day for questions and requests for additional information Last date for City responses to questions and information requests Prequalification Applications Due Notification of Prequalification decisions Bid Packages Distributed

Date October 19, 2106 5 pm, November 2, 2016 5 pm, November 7, 2016 2 pm, November 21, 2016 December 8, 2016 Spring, 2017

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Attachment 1 - General Project Information 1.1 GENERAL

This Project will be bid as a single prime contract in accordance with North Carolina General Statutes. The request for bids from pre-qualified Applicants is anticipated to occur in February 2017. The bid documents will be available at the time of advertisement after firms have been prequalified for bidding. It is anticipated that Notice-to-Proceed for construction activities will start on or about June 1, 2017, with an anticipated 25 month construction duration. This schedule is subject to change.

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Attachment 2 – Project Background and Scope 2.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND

The North Fork Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant serve as the City of Asheville’s primary water source, providing 70% of the City’s water supply needs. North Fork Dam and its associated saddle dam were originally constructed in 1955 and designs were based on available information and industry standards for that time period. Both dams are earthen embankments. In the last decade, advances in technology and data analytics have enabled engineers and scientists to better model and predict certain weather events and environmental conditions. More accurate information is available now than ever before and, due to that, best practices for modeling and simulating potentially hazardous conditions have greatly improved. This information has allowed the City’s consulting engineers to model a variety of possible scenarios for extreme storm events and seismic shaking, in response to the latest requirements of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Dam Safety. The updated analyses indicate that upgrades are needed to provide additional flood capacity and improved seismic stability. Planned modifications at North Fork Reservoir include raising the main and saddle dams by 4 feet; improvements to the principal spillway, addition of an auxiliary spillway; modifications to the raw water piping through the dam and to the water treatment plant; and earth buttressing to reinforce the main dam and saddle dam for seismic stability. Once completed, the two dams will be able to better withstand inflow from severe storm events and seismic loading. With so many people, businesses and industries dependent upon this critical natural resource, special care and proactive measures need to be taken to ensure the water source and infrastructure are protected both during and after construction. Schnabel Engineering of Greensboro, NC is the design engineer. Schnabel is currently developing the final plans and specifications for the project improvements. Schnabel will also provide construction administration and quality assurance testing during construction. Figure 1 is an aerial view of the North Fork Dam area. Figure 2 illustrates a summary of the major modifications required. Figure 3 is an artist’s rendition of the completed upgrades to the project.

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2.2 GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK

The activities for the Project are divided into the following major categories:       

Mobilization, Site Preparation, and Temporary Raw Water Bypass Intake Tower and Conduit Upgrades Main Dam Raise and Stability Berm Saddle Dam Raise and Stability Berm New Auxiliary Spillway Principal Spillway Upgrades Instrumentation and Site Restoration

The major components of each of these categories are discussed below. An overall schedule is provided as Figure 4. 2.2.1 Mobilization, Site Preparation, and Temporary Raw Water Bypass

Initial activities at the site will include contractor mobilization, preparation of staging and laydown areas, and installation of erosion and sedimentation controls. Several access roads will also be required, and extensive clearing and grubbing will be needed in the area of the new auxiliary spillway and the downstream faces of the main dam and saddle dam. Site preparation will also require the re-routing and/or replacement of a number of site utilities, including electrical lines along the crest of the main dam and at the conduit extension. In order to construct the outlet works conduit extension, the raw water line through the conduit needs to be shut down and drained. Since the City needs to maintain water production, a raw water bypass is designed to provide water supply needs to the plant. The bypass will be installed early in the project so that work can progress on the conduit extension and subsequent earthwork on the main dam. It is estimated that this bypass pipeline will be operated for about 3 months. 2.2.2

Intake Tower and Conduit Upgrades

Once the temporary bypass is functional, the excavation for the conduit extension will begin at the downstream toe of the dam. The excavation will require dewatering. Demolition of the existing pipeline vault will be completed, followed by construction of a new vault at the terminus of the conduit extension, and installation and backfill of the conduit extension including new pipe and valves. The platforms and ladders that were inside the outlet works tower were removed in the last construction contract. These platforms and ladders access the 4 intake gates inside the tower. New platforms and ladders are to be installed as part of this project. In addition, waterproofing of the tower building will be necessary for the high stage flood event and will include reinforcement of the brick wall and a flood door.

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2.2.3

Main Dam Raise and Stability Berm

The addition of an earthen stability berm on the downstream face of the dam will require dewatering and excavation of the existing toe drain system, which is to be replaced with a blanket drain and new toe drain extending under the berm. In addition, a new chimney drain will be installed in the main dam to improve stability. Once the drains are installed, the stability berm will be constructed of compacted earth fill. Approximately 220,000 cubic yards of earth are anticipated for the main dam berm that will be imported from the excavation for the new auxiliary spillway. The dam will also be raised 4 feet by the addition of a permanent concrete wall (parapet) along the crest of the dam. As the crest of the dam is narrow, and adjacent to the active water supply reservoir, special consideration of construction techniques and water quality will be required. In addition, a flood door will be provided in the parapet at the tower bridge to provide access to the bridge. Completion of the work on the main dam will include installation of protective riprap at the upstream groin areas. 2.2.4

Saddle Dam Raise and Stability Berm

Activities at the saddle dam are similar to those at the main dam, including dewatering and excavation of the existing toe drain system, addition of a blanket drain and new toe drain extending under the berm, a new chimney drain and earthen stability berm. Approximately 50,000 cubic yards of earth are anticipated for the saddle dam berm which will be imported from the excavation of the auxiliary spillway. The saddle dam will also be raised 4 feet by extending the earthen stability berm above the existing crest. As the dam adjacent to the active water supply reservoir, special consideration of construction techniques and water quality will be required. Work on the saddle dam will be conducted in parallel with the work at the main dam. Completion of the work on the saddle dam will include installation of protective riprap at the upstream groin areas and along the upper portion of the upstream face of the dam. 2.2.5

New Auxiliary Spillway

The excavation for the new auxiliary spillway will be partially in soil and partially in rock. The soil excavation may require dewatering and a soil nail wall is planned to stabilize a steep section of excavation. Blasting will be required in the rock portion of the excavation. As the excavation will be adjacent to the reservoir, a cofferdam will be required. The estimated quantities of excavation are approximately 300,000 cubic yards of soil and 30,000 cubic yards of rock. A two-line grout curtain will be installed along the axis of the auxiliary spillway, to a depth of approximately 60 feet below the excavated surface. Following the grout curtain, the foundation preparation will consist of dental concrete as needed under the control section of the spillway.

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The control section of the spillway will consist of 8 (eight) fusegates. The City has contracted with Hydroplus to form and install the gates. The fusegates will be a fixed price, pass-through cost to the successful bidder. A prefabricated bridge will span the top of the spillway section to provide vehicular access to the plant from East Fork Road. The chute section of the spillway will be lined with concrete, and will require concrete wing walls, wall drains, and a flip bucket energy dissipater at the downstream end. The convergence section upstream of the fusegates will also be concrete walls. Construction of the Auxiliary Spillway and appurtenant structures will proceed in parallel with work at the main dam and saddle dams. 2.2.6

Principal Spillway Upgrades

Because of the raising of the dam and the need for increased flood capacity, the principal spillway will be upgraded. Three temporary bulkheads will be installed in the spillway bays to dewater the spillway. The existing Tainter gates and bridge will be demolished, the floor of the control section improved, and one new Obermeyer gate will be installed in the center bay. Concrete gravity weirs will be installed in the two outer bays. The foundation will include post-tensioned anchors drilled into rock, and the sidewalls will be raised and refurbished to accommodate a new bridge. A new concrete overlay will be placed along the existing chute to refurbish the deteriorated concrete. Because of the requirement to manage any flood flows during construction, work at the principal spillway is scheduled after completion of the new auxiliary spillway, and is the last major work item to be done at the site. 2.2.7

Instrumentation and Site Restoration

Final activities on the project include installation of permanent monitoring instrumentation, removal of temporary erosion control features and access roads, repair of existing roads, construction of permanent storm water conveyances and ponds as needed. Testing of all installed equipment and gates will be completed, as well as overall seeding and site restoration. 2.3 PROJECT CONSTRAINTS

The construction and demolition work will be completed in and adjacent to an active water supply reservoir; therefore, significant constraints will be placed on the construction process, including the following: 2.3.1 Construction and demolition work must be coordinated, phased and sequenced to allow safe maintenance of full reservoir pool and safe passage of normal and flood flows at all times. 2.3.2 All demolition and removal activities, and new construction work, must include sedimentation and turbidity control plans and features to minimize degradation of reservoir

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water and raw water to the treatment plant. The project shall meet all state environmental requirements for water quality throughout the construction period. 2.3.3 Storm flow conveyance will need to be maintained and available throughout construction. The preliminary schedule provides a sequence of work to reduce the potential for risks associated with restriction of storm conveyance. 2.3.4 It is likely that permitting, safety, water quality and other environmental issues will control the approach to the demolition areas. Applicants should assume that concrete rubble, steel reinforcement, and other debris will need to be removed and disposed of offsite. Similarly, where only partial demolition of concrete structures is required, the resulting faces of the remaining structures will need to be trimmed and finished to be safe and meet environmental regulations. 2.3.5 The size, topography and configuration of the site impose space constraints for construction laydown areas and access to construction areas. Mobilization, demobilization and daily construction activities must be coordinated with the Owner to minimize interference with normal operation and maintenance of the existing Water Treatment Plant. The plant must remain on-line throughout the construction process. 2.3.6 Site security is paramount. A security protocol will be required by all personnel as well as deliveries. The security protocol will be provided in the Bid package.

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Attachment 3 - Requirements for the Application 3.1 PROCUREMENT LAW

Prequalification and bidding procedures will be governed by, and administered in accordance with, applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations. 3.2 COST REIMBURSEMENT

The Owner shall not be responsible for any cost incurred by the Applicant because of participation in this pre-qualification process. Each Applicant shall bear its own expense in connection with the preparation and submission of materials, provision of any supplemental information required, and/or participation in an interview if requested. The Owner shall have no liability for cost incurred by the Applicant in connection with the review and evaluation of pre-qualification materials and any findings and determinations made. This is not a solicitation for bid. All materials and information submitted during the pre-qualification process will become the property of the Owner and will not be returned to the Applicant. 3.3 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PREQUALIFICATION APPLICATION

3.3.1 The Applicant must complete and submit by mail or hand-delivery in hardcopy an original and two (2) copies (for a total of three sets) of the application and all associated forms and attachments, which together comprise the Application for Bidder Pre-qualification (Application). 3.3.2 Firms shall also submit (1) copy of their Proposal in a PDF format on a compact disc. This copy, if applicable, shall be redacted. Firms should briefly describe in writing the grounds for claiming exemption from the public records law, including the specific statutory citation for such exemption. This redacted copy shall contain the RFQ number and Firm’s name on the cover page and shall be clearly titled “Redacted Copy.” The Redacted Copy shall be provided at the same time Firm submits the Proposal and must only exclude or obliterate those exact portions that are claimed confidential, proprietary, or trade secret. Firm shall be responsible for defending its determination that the redacted portions of its documents, data or records are confidential, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure. Further, Firm shall protect, defend, and indemnify the City for any and all claims arising from or relating to Firm’s determination that the redacted portions of its proposal are confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure. If Firm fails to submit a Redacted Copy with its reply, the City may produce the entire documents, data or records submitted by Firm in answer to a public records request for these records. 3.3.3 The Application shall be signed and submitted in a sealed container to the Owner. The Applicant’s name and the project name (North Fork Dam Improvement Project) must be clearly displayed on the outside of the container.

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3.3.4 The time and date of receipt shall be marked on the sealed container by the Owner. Timely submission is the sole responsibility of the Applicant. 3.3.5 Responses to this RFQ must be typed or neatly printed. The information presented should be clear, complete, concise and not misleading. All attachments submitted shall be identified with the name of the Applicant. Failure to submit a response on the official forms provided for that purpose shall be considered just cause for rejection of the response. 3.5 REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION – ADDENDA AND INTERPRETATIONS

All requests for information or interpretation of this RFQ must be made in writing via email to Ms. Leslie Carreiro, Division Manager Water Production / Water Quality, City of Asheville Water Resources, email address: [email protected]. Any and all such interpretations and any supplemental instructions or changes will be in the form of written Addenda to this RFQ. Any addendums to this RFQ will be posted at: http://www.ashevillenc.gov/bids It is the responsibility of all firms submitting qualifications to check this website for any addendums prior to submission. No questions will be answered after the date specified. Addenda will be sent to all Applicants via the email addresses furnished as a courtesy, no later than 14 calendar days prior to the date fixed for submittal of the Application. All Addenda so issued shall become part of the Application and must be signed by the Applicant and returned to the City with the Application. Failure to acknowledge receipt and inclusion of each Addendum may be grounds for rejection of the Application. 3.6 CONFIDENTIAL / PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

The Applicant should give specific attention to the identification of those portions of their Application which they deem to be confidential, proprietary information or trade secrets, and provide any justification of why such materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the Owner under North Carolina public records laws. The Applicant must clearly indicate each and every section that is deemed confidential, proprietary or a trade secret as required by statute. It is NOT sufficient to preface your entire Application with a proprietary statement. If the Owner determines that a document that the Applicant has designated "confidential" or "trade secret" is not entitled to protection from public disclosure, the Owner will provide notice of that determination to the contact person designated by the Applicant, in any reasonable manner that the Owner can provide such notice, at least five business days prior to its public disclosure of the document. If the Applicant does not designate anyone to receive such notice, the Owner will not have any obligation to provide any notice of a determination of non- confidentiality. If the Applicant does not designate anyone to receive such notice, or if, within five business days after the designated person receives such notice, the Applicant does not initiate judicial proceedings to protect the confidentiality of the

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document, the Owner will not have any obligation to withhold the document from public disclosure. By submitting to the Owner a document that the Applicant designates as "confidential" or "trade secret", the Applicant agrees that in the event a third party brings any action against the Owner or any of its officials or employees to obtain disclosure of the document, the Applicant will indemnify and hold harmless the Owner and each organization's affected officials and employees from all costs, including attorney's fees incurred by or assessed against any defendant, of defending against such action. The Applicant also agrees that at the Owner's request the Applicant will intervene in any such action and assume all responsibility for defending against it, and that the Applicant's failure to do so will relieve the Owner of all further obligations to protect the confidentiality of the document. 3.7 NOTICE OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES

If the Applicant experiences a material change in its debarment status, financial condition, corporate structure or personnel after the Application is submitted and prior to the award of the contract for the project, the Applicant shall notify the City of the change in writing at the time the change occurs or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable. Failure to notify the Owner of any material change in the Applicant’s debarment status, financial condition, corporate structure or personnel may constitute grounds for rescinding a "qualified to bid" rating or for rejection of a bid. 3.8 MISREPRESENTATION

If the Applicant knowingly makes a misrepresentation in submitting information to the Owner, or fails to provide all required information, or provides information that is misleading, such misrepresentation, omission or misleading information, such action will be sufficient grounds for rescinding a "qualified to bid" rating or for rejection of a bid submitted as a result of this pre-qualification. 3.9 COLLUSION AMONG APPLICANTS

More than one response from an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association under the same or different name will be rejected. Any or all responses will be rejected if there is any reason for believing that collusion exists among the Applicants. Participants in such collusion may not be considered in future bids for the same work. Each Applicant, by submitting a response, certifies that they are not a party to any collusive action or to any action that is otherwise unlawful.

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Attachment 4 - Protest Procedure 4.1 INITIAL PROTEST

A firm may protest the denial of prequalification as follows: a. A written protest must be received by the Purchasing Manager ([email protected] ) within two business days of notice of denial. The written protest shall clearly identify the project and the Project Manager, clearly articulate the reasons for the protest, and attach any documents or additional information in support of the firm's position. b. The Purchasing Manager will contact the firm and set up a date and time to discuss the protest. c. If upon review, the Purchasing Manager determines that the firm meets the criteria for prequalification, the firm shall be notified that it is prequalified to bid on the project and allowed to participate in the bid process. If the Purchasing Manager upholds the denial, the firm shall be notified in writing by e-mail. 4.2 APPEAL

If the film desires further review after receiving the decision of the Purchasing Manager, the firm may request an administrative review and final decision by the City Manager/designee as follows: a. A written request for administrative review must be received by the City Manager/designee within two business days from the firm's receipt of the decision from the Purchasing Manager. b. The request for administrative review shall clearly identify the project and the Project Manager, clearly articulate the reason(s) for the review, and attach any documents or additional information in support of the firm's position. c. The City Manager/designee, will contact the firm and set up a date and time for the administrative review. If, upon review, the City Manager/designee, determines that the firm meets the criteria for prequalification, the firm shall be notified that it is prequalified to bid on the project and allowed to participate in the bid process. If the City Manager/designee upholds the denial, the firm shall be notified in writing by e-mail. This decision shall be final. 4.3 GENERAL RULES FOR PROTEST

Firms submitting applications shall be provided an e-mail address for communication with the Purchasing Manager during the protest process; and: a. The firm shall provide at least two e-mail addresses for use by the Purchasing Manager in communicating with the firm. b. The bid opening cannot occur until the protest process is completed. c. The bid opening must be scheduled in order to allow sufficient time for a bidder that is prequalified as a result of a protest to submit a bid on that project.

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