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PRESOLICITATION NOTICE

THIS PROCUREMENT IS BEING SOLICITED UNRESTRICTED, FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.

Solicitation No. AOCACB24R0025

Project Name: LC13017A, Sprinkler Systems Replacement for Collections, John Adams Building (JAB), Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Project Magnitude: Consistent with FAR 36.204 Disclosure of the Magnitude of Construction Projects, the estimated construction cost is “More than $25,000.000”.

Project Overview: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Washington, DC, hereby notifies all interested offerors of its intent to issue a solicitation (Request for Proposal) for construction. Specifically, the AOC seeks the services of a highly qualified contractor under a Firm-Fixed-Price contract to furnish all the supervision, labor, material, and equipment (except as otherwise noted in the RFP) required to perform the work for the Sprinkler Systems Replacement for Collections, John Adams Building (JAB), Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The NAICS code for this procurement is 236220.

The solicitation is scheduled to be issued on or about December 11, 2023. Award is anticipated in the March of 2024 and is expected to take 28 months to complete.

BACKGROUND

The John Adams Building, located on Second Street, SE between Independence Ave and East Capitol Streets in Washington, DC, is a mixed use, separated facility consisting of Storage, Business, and Assembly occupancies. Completed in 1938, the eight (8) story (6 above, 2 below grade) JAB is primarily used as an annex to the Thomas Jefferson Building for the archival of historical documents, books and collections and provides approximately thirteen (13) acres of shelf space and shelf capacity for about ten (10) million books.

The primary storage occupancy areas are located in the center core of the building and consist of two (2) “Stack” areas, North and South and an intervening Control Room (approximately 1,500 sq.??) that serves as a staging point for Library of Congress operations and the lobby area for service elevators. All totaled, the area of the entire storage stack area, including the control rooms, is approximately 550,000 sq.ft.

Each stack consists of an interconnected steel and cast iron structure that is separated into twelve (12) tiers (aka Decks) of approximately 22,000 sq. ft. each. Each stack is independent of the John Adams Building and is self-supporting; the structure supports each deck’s marble walking surface as well as creates the vertical supports for individual shelving units for the documents, books and collections. Each deck is approximately ½ of the vertical height between the building floor levels with the lower level deck corresponding to the building floor level and an upper deck that is in between building floor levels. The steel/cast iron support structures are non-fire rated; however, each stack area is protected by an automatic wet pipe sprinkler system and is separated from the remainder of the building by a 2 hour, fire rated occupancy separation along the perimeter walls.

The John Adams Building is protected throughout by an automatic sprinkler system and is supported by a single, 750 GPM fire pump supplying an 8” fire protection feed loop located on the basement level. Each deck (24 in total) is its own sprinkler zone that is supplied from two remote risers. All sprinkler systems are copper (Type L) and are configured in a gridded piping arrangement using quick response pendent sprinklers with custom/field made ell fittings. The existing sprinkler system installation is similar to that shown in the 2010 NFPA 13-Section 8.15.9.

A study by Hughes Associates, dated November 9, 2012 and entitled, “A Corrosion Investigation of the Automatic Fire Sprinkler System in the Library of Congress – John Adams Building,” identified extensive corrosion observed in the copper sprinkler system protecting the book stack levels. There is ample evidence of water seepage at the threaded connections of the sprinklers, which have been replaced numerous times due to industry recalls and numerous pinhole leaks through the copper pipe walls, which are occurring for a variety of reasons.

PROPOSED WORK

The work of the contemplated Contract can be summarized as follows:

Removal and replacement of the fire suppression system of sprinklers on Decks 1 through 12 within the building, and related fire alarm modifications and some minor light fixture replacement with new LED light fixtures in the secondary aisles on the decks where existing light fixtures conflict with the sprinkler system installation.

1. The Work includes construction of a new fire suppression system using black steel pipe and fittings and removal of the existing copper pipe fire suppression system.

2. The Work includes minor modifications to the existing fire alarm system to make connections with the new fire suppression system.

3. The Work includes selective demolition of concrete and terrazzo floors, cork composite floor tile, painted gypsum wallboard and glazed terra cotta block walls to make penetrations through fire-rated construction to install the new fire suppression system.

4. The Work includes repair to concrete and cork composition tile floors, painted gypsum wallboard and glazed terra cotta block walls to reinstate fire-rated construction when the old fire suppression system is removed.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

The project is to be conducted in phases with the first phase to include installation of the sprinkler mains and standpipes and hazardous material abatement. The phases of the Work will install the new fire suppression system on the 12 decks at the JAB. No hot work is to occur on the decks at any time.

Any work on the existing copper sprinkler systems will require the use of a listed mechanical connection system (e.g., Pro-Press) that is listed for use on fire sprinkler systems. At no time will adjacent sprinkler systems, either horizontally or vertically, be offline at the same time. No more than two half-deck systems total will be down at the same time. Any materials used as a dust/water barrier or mechanical protection of the collection materials are to be non-combustible or limited combustible and approved by the Architect. Temporary drain setup will not be allowed due to presence of

collections. All new standpipe risers and hose valves shall be installed, tested (pneumatically and hydrostatically), flow tested and ready for use in all respects before any deck work is scheduled to begin.

Due to Library of Congress’s operation during normal business hours, all work will be performed after normal hours starting at 8:00 PM through 4:00 AM.

Offerors are advised that the AOC is a legislative branch entity and as such is NOT subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). However, this procurement will be solicited using a Request for Proposal (RFP) as outlined in FAR Part 15, which will result in the Best Value to the Government. Instructions to offerors and the Government’s evaluation process will be further detailed in the forthcoming solicitation. The Government intends to award one (1) Firm-Fixed Price construction contract resulting from this solicitation.

The RFP, and any subsequent amendments (if any), will be issued in electronic format only and will be available for download on or about December 11, 2023 via Sam.gov and AOC’s eBuilder system (for access to drawings and specifications). Further instructions on how to obtain an electronic copy of the plans and specifications will be included in the RFP.

Offerors shall address any/all questions in writing to Mr. Jeffrey Kuhl, Contracting Officer, via email at Jeff.Kuhl@aoc.gov. TELEPHONE INQUIRIES WILL NOT BE ACKNOWLEDGED OR ACCEPTED.

IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR TO MONITOR THE SAM.GOV WEBSITE FOR ALL CHANGES TO THE SOLICITATION OR FOR INFORMATION RELEASED BY THE AOC.

Please do not contact any other AOC personnel regarding this notification as they are not authorized to provide any information.

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