Procurement Authorization - Supply and Installation of

Permanent Inspection Platforms

on the Prince Edward Viaduct

The Policy and Finance Committee reports having referred the following communication (September 3, 1999) from the Interim General Secretary, Toronto Transit Commission to the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for report thereon directly to Council for its meeting scheduled to be held on September 28, 1999, respecting the availability of funds for this project:

At its meeting on Wednesday, September 1, 1999, the Commission considered the attached report entitled, "Procurement Authorization - Supply And Installation Of Permanent Inspection Platforms On The Prince Edward Viaduct."

The Commission adopted the Recommendation embodied in the above report, as listed below:

  "It is recommended that the Commission approve:

(1)acceptance of the tender submitted by Dundas Iron and Steel Limited in the amount of $959,400.00 for the supply and installation of permanent inspection platforms on the Prince Edward Viaduct;

(2)proceeding with this work as a result of the City Works and Emergency Services Department's project to install a suicide barrier on the Prince Edward Viaduct and holding the expenses in TTC accounts pending City Council approval; and

(3)forwarding this report to City Council to confirm funding."

The foregoing is forwarded to City of Toronto Council for the purpose of confirming the availability of funding for this project.

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Toronto Transit Commission

Report No. 20, entitled "Procurement Authorization -

Supply And Installation Of Permanent Inspection

Platforms On The Prince Edward Viaduct"

from its meeting of September 1, 1999.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Commission approve:

(1)acceptance of the tender submitted by Dundas Iron & Steel Limited in the amount of $959,400.00 for the supply and installation of permanent inspection platforms on the Prince Edward Viaduct;

(2)proceeding with this work as a result of the City Works and Emergency Services Department's project to install a suicide barrier on the Prince Edward Viaduct and holding the expenses in TTC accounts pending City Council approval;

(3)forwarding this report to City Council to confirm funding.

Funding

No funds were budgeted for this expenditure in the 1999-2003 TTC Capital Program as approved by City Council on March 2, 1999. At its meeting of May 11 and 12, 1999, City Council approved an $800,000.00 expenditure associated with the purchase of a Bridgemaster unit which was required to allow TTC to continue to inspect the underside of the concrete track and steel walkways. At that time, it was agreed that funding for the purchase would be determined as part of the 2000-2004 budget process.

The TTC has been unable to secure a suitable Bridgemaster unit and therefore have proceeded with a tender for the installation of permanent inspection platforms. The platforms require additional funding of $159,400.00 which will be included in the TTC 2000-2004 Capital Program. As before, the funding arrangements will be determined as part of the budget process.

Background

At its meeting of March 23, 1999 the Commission approved in principle, the procurement of a specialized inspection vehicle (modified Bridgemaster), in the estimated amount of $800,000.00. This estimated cost was based on preliminary pricing received from a prospective supplier. This requirement was based on the need to allow TTC to continue to inspect the underside of the TTC concrete track and steel walkway beams, as a result of the City's program to construct the suicide prevention barrier on the Prince Edward Viaduct.

At its meetings of May 11 and 12, 1999, City Council approved an amount of $800,000.00 for the purchase of a modified Bridgemaster vehicle to be included in the TTC's 2000 Capital Budget as a special item over and above the TTC's capital funding needs and that these costs be recovered over 10 years by a yearly rental. The final arrangements for the funding were to determined as part of the 2000-2004 Capital Program process.

Subsequently, staff prepared specifications for the procurement of a specialized inspection vehicle to ensure that the Commission could continue to inspect the Prince Edward Viaduct structure every two years, in accordance with recommendations from the National Bridge Inspection Standards and published MTO Standards - Ontario Structure Inspection Manual. An advertisement was placed in the Daily Commercial News and a total of seven (7) companies requested tenders, out of which one (1) submitted a tender which was technically non-compliant.

As a result of the formal tendering process, manufacturers have advised that a vehicle meeting inspection requirements (extended reach) is not currently available on the market and that to produce one would require extensive research and development. It should be understood that the preliminary pricing was based on an off-the-shelf vehicle and that a modified vehicle would cost substantially more to design and manufacture than previously indicated.

The City's project schedule is to install the suicide prevention barrier by the end of December 1999, and due to its impact on TTC inspections, staff proceeded to obtain tenders for a second option. This option was for the installation of permanent inspection platforms on the Prince Edward Viaduct.

The work entails fabricating and installing small steel platforms at the end of each row of beams, which would be accessible from track level to carry out inspections. There would be an added benefit that during the annual replacement program for track beams, the contracting out of the erection and dismantling of temporary wooden stages and work platforms would not be required. By enabling TTC to carry out its inspections and work on its own, permanent platforms would reduce lane closures and disruptions both on Bloor Street across the Prince Edward Viaduct and on the roadways beneath the bridge. The tender indicated that the temporary suspended scaffolds on the Don Valley Parkway and Bayview Avenue would remain in place to enable this installation. A window of opportunity exists to utilize these temporary suspended scaffolds, currently in place for replacement of the walkway beams on the Prince Edward Viaduct, to install the permanent platforms. However, some scaffolds are scheduled to be removed this fall and it is essential that this procurement proceed now, otherwise the cost and complexity of the work would increase substantially.

The order of magnitude for the permanent platform option is comparable to the procurement of the specialized inspection vehicle previously approved by City Council at its meetings of May 11 and 12, 1999. Also, there will be a reduction of approximately $100,000.00 in the annual procurement of temporary work platforms. Staff consider the permanent platforms as a preferable option which avoids the complications of using a specialized vehicle for a brief annual period, rental payments and vehicle maintenance. The TTC will be able to minimize road closures on the Don Valley Parkway and Bayview Avenue in the future as a result of the installation.

The TTC is currently scheduled for a weekend closure of the Don Valley Parkway on the weekend of October 15, 1999 to remove the temporary suspended scaffold platforms. To accommodate this procurement, it will be necessary to defer this closure to November.

Discussion

Specifications and drawings were prepared for the above noted contract and a request for tender was issued with a closing date of August 9, 1999. An advertisement was placed in the Daily Commercial News and a total of seventeen (17) companies requested tenders, out of which seven (7) submitted tenders. All responses are summarized in Appendix "A".

The lowest tender was submitted by Canron Construction Corporation East in the amount of $877,688.00. However their tender included the following exceptions which are considered unacceptable: Canron could not meet the scheduled completion unless they received notification of award immediately after the tender closing; Canron took exception to the specified terms of payment as their tender was based on monthly progress payments in lieu of payment following completion of each span of the platforms; and Canron's tender was based on the TTC being responsible for re-routing all hydro, telephone and other utilities rather than the contractor as specified in the tender documents. Based on the above, the tender submitted by Canron Construction Corporation East is considered commercially unacceptable.

The second lowest tender, which meets all contract requirements and contains no exceptions or qualifications, was submitted by Dundas Iron & Steel Limited in the amount of $959,400.00. Dundas Iron & Steel has satisfactorily completed work for the Commission as a sub-contractor. Reference checks were completed which indicated they have satisfactorily performed work of a similar size and nature in the past. Their tender is considered commercially and technically compliant.

The Agreement to Bond submitted by Dundas Iron & Steel Limited covers both a Labour and Material Payment Bond and a performance Bond and was submitted by a Surety Company licensed to transact business in Ontario.

Justification

It is necessary to proceed with the foregoing procurement expenditure in order to meet published safety recommendations for bridge inspection. Given the City's program to construct a suicide barrier, the installation of permanent inspection platforms are necessary to inspect the underside of the TTC concrete track and steel walkway beams, thus ensuring the safety and integrity of the subway system on the Prince Edward Viaduct and the safety of human and vehicular traffic on the roadways and pathways located beneath.

August 10, 1999

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Attachments

Appendix "A"

Supply, Installation Of Permanent Inspection Platforms

On The Prince Edward Viaduct

Tender no. T31W9807

FirmsTotal Tendered Price

Canron Construction Corporation East$ 877,688.00*

Dundas Iron & Steel Ltd.$ 959,040.00

Autogene Industries North Bay Inc.

O/A Central Welding & Iron Works$1,292,832.00

Consolidated Canadian Contractors

(1031695 Ontario Inc.)$1,316,000.00

M & G Steel Ltd.$1,355,000.00

E.S. Fox Ltd.$1,402,971.70

Lorvin Steel Ltd.$1,643,200.00

Engineer's Estimate-$1,300,000.00

*Commercially Non-compliant.