Guidance > Piling Specification > Tender Documents and Method of Invitation

Procedure for Drafting a Tender Document and Method of Invitation

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Procedure prior to drafting Tender

When an Engineer has decided that piling is required based upon all necessary site investigation and a Contractor / Specialist Sub-Contractor is approached to provide a Tender the possible advantages of pre-tender consultation should be considered by the parties.

It should be ascertained by the Contractor / Specialist as to who is to be responsible for the selection of the type of pile and the pile design. Bills of Quantities should be prepared either by the PQS or Specialist Contractor to be consistent with this selection.

It should be ensured that any design responsibility imposed on the Contractor / Specialist is consistent with the terms of the Main or Sub-Contract. Confirmation should also be obtained that the design contribution by the specialist does not relieve the Engineer of the consultant’s responsibilities for the overall design of the project and the assimilation into that of the design of the specialist.

A performance specification, drafted as described elsewhere, should be obtained from the Engineer if not already provided. Confirmation should also be obtained that the site investigation is deemed adequate by the Engineer and that the Contractor / Specialist is to prepare the tender on the information provided therein.

Method of invitation of Tenders

Contractors / Specialist Contractors may have been invited to tender for the piling works as a Main Contractor to the Employer under one of the established forms of Contract, Contracts drawn up for management type contracts or on the basis of Partnering.

Each of these has different implications and requires special commercial considerations. Early involvement with the Employer and his professional team is important.

Sub-Contractors’ tenders may have been invited by the Employer’s consultants with a view to the successful sub-contractor being nominated but more usually directly from Main Contractors when preparing their Tenders.

In the latter instance, Main Contractors should have obtained the approval of the Engineer of the specialists from whom he intends to invite tenders.

Attendances being provided free of charge to the Sub-Contractor should be clearly defined and ascertained before preparation of the tender.

Details of any risks in respect of the piling, priced and accepted by the Main Contractor, should also be obtained. Whether it is the intention to pass these on to the Sub-contractor under the contract should be ascertained and if so be priced by the Sub-contractor accordingly. If not acceptable this should be suitably qualified.

Information required by the Contractor / Specialist / Sub-Contractor invited to tender

If not already provided the following should be obtained or ascertained :-

Location of site and details of access.

Any restrictions relating to visits to the site and the name, address and telephone number of any person from whom permission to visit the site must be obtained if this is a requirement.

The expected date of the award of the contract and the likely commencement of the works.

Details of the proposed terms and conditions of contract and any special requirements of the Employer (or Main Contractor).

General and particular specifications. Performance specification.

Latest drawings

Site information and ground information data showing the position of boreholes relative to the position of the proposed piling

Details of available working area and other sub-contractors working concurrently on site.

Any special conditions limiting noise and/or vibration.

Any limitation of working hours

Level data, including existing ground levels, commencing surface levels and pile cut off levels.

Any phasing of the works necessitating more than one visit by the piling contractor, including visits for any preliminary test piling.

The results of any previously carried out test piling.

Drawing showing details of underground services, structures and other known underground or overhead obstructions.

Details of required insurances, retention, discounts, main contract liquidated damages, programme requirements, bonds and warranties.

How variations to the works are to be valued i.e., whether it is the intention to use bill rates to value changes.

Note: All electronic information provided on a CD or DVD, or similar, or on an extranet must be properly indexed and organised with all information relevant to the geotechnical works being easily identifiable (See ‘Ground Forum electronic tendering protocol for geotechnical works’ for further information.)

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