Fire Line Replacement Design Services NEW

The Playhouse Company is inviting ECSA-registered professional engineering firms to design a complete, code-compliant replacement of the 75 mm main fire line and its branches (wet riser and hose-reel system) at The Playhouse Theatre Building and Head Office in Durban. The existing system, which has never been replaced since original installation, mixes stainless steel, galvanised steel and copper. Galvanic and erosion corrosion have thinned pipe walls, and scaling has reduced hydraulic capacity below SANS 10400-W and NFPA 14 requirements, so the system is non-compliant and presents life-safety and liability risk. The building is a listed monument under the National Heritage Resources Act, so heritage sensitivity is required. This bid covers design only, from concept (Stage 2) through detailed design, documentation and procurement support (Stage 5), ending with a recommended contractor appointment. Stage 6 (construction monitoring, testing, commissioning and close-out) is not part of this bid's price. The Employer may call the successful bidder back under a separate written appointment once construction funding from DSAC is confirmed, but is not obliged to do so.

The scope covers removal and safe disposal of existing piping, supports and insulation; replacement of damaged roof valves and a leaking pump-tank joint valve; decommissioning of a blocked 5th-floor pipe; elimination of mixed-metal joints; and integration with existing hose reels and fire-fighting equipment. The engineer must verify the full vertical extent of the system on site, since the Stage 1 report's recommendations and defect records do not match. Each building must receive its own complete set of drawings, specifications and a fully measured Bill of Quantities so that it can be tendered and built as a separate phase. The Head Office has not yet been assessed, so the engineer must first complete a site survey, leak detection and condition assessment, and confirm the extent of replacement with the Employer before Stage 2. Deliverables include hydraulic calculations, riser diagrams, construction-issue drawings in PDF and native CAD, painting and identification to SANS 10140-1 (Fire Red finish and FIRE LINE labelling), testing and commissioning specifications, tender documents, and engineer's pre-tender estimates. Design must comply with the National Building Regulations (Part T and Part W), SANS 10252-1, OHS Act and Construction Regulations 2014, and eThekwini fire and water by-laws.

Bidders are evaluated in three gates. Mandatory requirements include attendance at the compulsory site briefing, a lead engineer registered as Pr.Eng. or Pr.Tech.Eng. in the mechanical or fire-protection discipline, CSD registration, a valid SARS tax compliance PIN, and completed SBD forms and pricing schedules. Functionality (minimum 70 of 100 points) scores firm experience in multi-storey fire-installation or wet-riser design, the lead engineer's experience, key support staff, methodology (including phasing, temporary fire protection in an operating venue and heritage sensitivity), and a realistic programme. Price is scored at 80 points and specific goals at 20 points under the 80/20 system. Design fees are priced as fixed lump sums per stage, excluding VAT, with disbursements included. Bidders must also submit indicative Stage 6 rates, which are not scored. The engineer must remain independent of any contractor or supplier that may bid for the works. For suitably qualified engineering firms, this is a well-defined, high-value opportunity to deliver a life-safety upgrade to a significant public venue.