INSTRUCTIONS TO ARCHITECT-ENGINEER FOR ON-LINE DISTRIBUTION OF CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

Revised  3/13/09

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GENERAL INFORMATION

1.  The State of Minnesota now has a digital web based distribution process for project plans and specifications.  To view and/or download the project plans and specifications, please go to the following website:  http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/solicitations.htm and click on Construction Contract Solicitations.  Architects/Engineers who are under contract with the State for designing and preparing project documents will be required to furnish plans and specifications in the required pdf format. 

INSTRUCTIONS TO ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS

  1. The Architect/Engineer is to complete (fill out) the Bid Request Form a minimum of two weeks prior to the anticipated date when the plans and specifications will be ready for distribution.  The form is available on Real Estate and Construction Service’s website at www.admin.state.mn.us/recs, click on “Construction Services” then “Manuals, Guidelines, and Forms”.
  2. The Architect/Engineer is to submit the completed Bid Request Form to the State’s Project Manager.  After approval by the State’s Project Manager, the Bid Request Form will be submitted to the Materials Management Division and to the Risk Management Division.
  3. The State’s Project Manager will be contacted by MMD and will be given the following information.  The State’s Project Manager will then furnish the Architect/Engineer with this information.
    a. Scheduled solicitation opening date and time(s)
    b. The State’s “front-end” boilerplate documents
    c. The date the plan and specification documents and CD must be received by MMD

    4. The State’s Project Manager will also furnish the Architect/Engineer with amended “General Conditions of the Contract for Construction”.

    Note:  There are 6 different state “front-end” boilerplate types.  If you have worked on a prior state project DO NOT copy the front end from another project.  Each project is evaluated independently for the type/version of “front-end” to use.  It is also important to use the most current version of the “front-end”.

  4. The Architect/Engineer will edit the “front-end” (Solicitation Advertisement and Solicitation Response Forms) to include project specific information.
  5. The Architect/Engineer will incorporate the State’s “front-end” into the project specifications.
  6. Once the project documents are ready to be assembled, use Adobe Acrobat to create one document in pdf format that includes all the specifications and plans for the project (everything that is normally included in a paper plan set). If you have files that are not digital files to incorporate into your assembly, you will need to make arrangements to have them scanned into a pdf format.  The plans and specifications must be on one pdf file.  Do not secure the pdf file as QuestCDN will secure the pdf during the upload process.  If you cannot combine them together into one file, then the separate files must be put together into one zip file for submission.

    7. The main purpose for the zip functionality is to allow for the uploading and distribution of multiple files of various file types, while simultaneously guaranteeing that anyone downloading gets all of the documents required for bidding.  This means that the plans and specifications can be provided in pdf format and additional documentation that bidders might need for some other purpose can be provided in other formats [examples:  Excel (.xls) or MS Word (.doc)].

    The main plans and specifications must be in pdf format and in one file.  In order to select the correct file for viewing purposes, the file name must start with “vu” – for example vu12345.pdf or vuxyz-project.pdf.  By doing this, bidders will still be able to view the main documents before downloading, but will also download the complete zip file with all of its contents.  The only part that will be available for free viewing will be the single pdf file, but all of the zip file will be downloadable.   

    Set “MN ADMIN Named Destinations” and set “Bookmarks” (use codes in Attachment A) in the completed pdf file  when required by the State’s Project Manager.  The named destinations are helpful for viewing and the bookmarks are helpful for the downloaded copy.  If required, it is imperative that Named Destinations are inserted exactly as shown in Attachment A, including use of upper and lower case letters.  Quest CDN suggests that you modify the pdf document properties to display the page and bookmarks when opened. 

  7. Once you have created your plan set as a pdf or zip file, copy it onto a compact disk (CD).
  8. After copying to a CD, take some time to view the CD to make sure it is readable and bookmarked as instructed by the State’s Project Manager.  After the initial copy has been made, make an additional copy on a CD.
  9. Plans and specifications must be submitted to MMD as a single pdf file or zip file on a CD, along with a bound or stapled paper copy of the plans and specifications.  Label the delivery envelope and the CD with the following information:
    a. DIGITAL SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS for
    b. Project Name
    c. Project Facility & Location
    d. State Project Number

    10. The CD(s) and a bound or stapled  set of plans and specifications must be submitted to the following address so they are received in MMD by the specified Due Date:

    Name of MMD Acquisition Management Specialist
    Materials Management Division (MMD)
    Department of Administration
    Room 112 Administration Building
    50 Sherburne Ave
    St. Paul, MN 55155

  10. MMD will upload the CD onto the web based plan and specification distribution site.  The plans and specifications will then be available for immediate download by interested parties.  If the CD won’t upload because there is a problem with the files the Architect/Engineer will be notified and a corrected CD will have to be submitted to MMD.
  11. After the CD has been uploaded by MMD (MMD will send an E-mail to the Architect/Engineer when the upload has occurred), the Architect/Engineer should then provide the following additional copies:
    a. One CD to the State’s Project Manager
    b. One hardcopy of the plans and specifications to the State’s Project Manager
    c. One CD to the user agency
    d. Two hardcopies of the plans and specifications to the user agency.
    e.  One hardcopy of the plans and specifications can be given to each of the  Architect/Engineer’s M, E, C and S project consultants (upon approval of the State’s Project Manager) with the understanding that they cannot give copies of those plans and specifications to anyone else.
    f.  Upon approval of the State’s Project Manager, hardcopies of the plans and specifications may be given to other State personnel and authorities having jurisdiction over the project (examples:  State Building Code Office, a City, etc.).

    12. The Architect/Engineer cannot distribute the plans and specifications to any other parties.

  12. When issuing addenda during the solicitation process, convert your native addenda files into a single pdf file just as you did for the plans and specifications.  The State’s Project Manager may request that you bookmark the file if it is extensive and set the document properties to display both page and bookmarks when opening.
  13. Deliver the addenda as an E-mail attachment to MMD at:  Construction.PlanAndSpec@state.mn.us.  It is MMD’s responsibility to have addenda uploaded into the QuestCDN system.  Also send this E-mail to the State’s Project Manager’s E-mail address, and to the user agency’s E-mail address.  The E-mail can also be sent to each of the Architect/Engineer’s M, E, C and S project consultants and to other State personnel and authorities having jurisdiction over the project (examples:  State Building Code Office, a City, etc.), upon approval of the State’s Project Manager.  The Architect/Engineer cannot distribute the addenda to any other parties.
  14. The Architect/Engineer will provide to the Prime Contractor that is awarded the project a complete digital project plan set and any ongoing changes in a pdf digital file format for their construction use.  AutoCADD file format (.dwg) may be provided to the awarded Prime Contractor only upon the State Project Manager’s written approval.  The Prime Contractor will provide to their Subcontractors, etc. all printed paper project plan specifications and drawings required for the construction for the project.  All printing and distribution costs incurred will be at the Prime Contractor’s expense.

    15. CONCLUSION:  
    Interested parties may view the plans and specifications at no cost on the website or download the digital documents at a cost of $10.00.  Please contact QuestCDN.com at 952-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance with downloading or working with this digital project information.

Attachment A

PDF Copy of this Document

Department of Administration  •  Real Estate and Construction Services •   Saint Paul, MN 55155