Contact, questions and answers
Contact, questions and answers
General
General questions conserning the competition and application: kruunusillat ( @ ) hel.fi
Questions during the competition via non-public extranet.
Timetable of anwers of questions concerning the competition
Questions and their answers concerning the application procedure and the competition will be published here on 4 July 2011, and 29 july 2011. The questions shall be submitted no later than 25 july 2011.
Questions and answers 29 July 2011
GENERAL
THESE ARE THE LAST ANSWERED QUESTIONS. No more questions will answered except for those concerning the delivery of the applications. If there are problems with or questions about the delivery, please contact Ms Marja Kallakorpi, phone +358 40 334 7146, email
marja.kallakorpi(at)hel.fi. (Please do NOT contact Mrs Pirjo Lilja mentioned below).
In cases related to delivery of applications please do NOT contact kruunusillat@hel.fi. From now on all answers to emails sent to that email address will be be subject to delays.
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IMPORTANT: There seems to be an issue with the “3. Instructions and tracking” tab of the Excel file “Application and Reference Document”. Despite of a succesful testrun of the file, for some reason the tracking feature does not seem to work properly.
FOR ALL APPLICANTS: AFTER FILLING OUT THE EXCEL FILE “APPLICATION AND REFERENCE DOCUMENT” PLEASE IGNORE THE RESULTS OF THE SHEET TAB 3’S COLUMN “TRACKING”.
THE FILLED-OUT “APPLICATION AND REFERENCE DOCUMENT” WILL BE REGARDED BY THE JURY AS MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS WHEN ALL THE TABS HAVE BEEN FILLED OUT SUFFICIENTLY (REGARDLESS THE RESULTS IN THE . “TRACKING” COLUMN OF THE SHEET TAB “3. Instructions and tracking”).
The Promoter apologizes for this quite inconvenient and unforgiveable problem with the file.
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When using a courier service like DHL, UPS, FedEX and so on the applications are to be delivered to the visiting address of the City of Helsinki Registry. The Address is given in the Competition Programme, Section 1.7. The postal code of the visiting address is FIN-00170 or 00170.
The official contact person of the City of Helsinki Registry is Mrs Pirjo Lilja (whose name is to be filled out/given if a courier service requires a contact person) and phone number of the City of Helsinki Registry is +358 9 310 13700. However, ANY person at the City of Helsinki Registry may sign the verification when an application is received. Please be reminded that the questions
concerning the delivery of the applications are to be addressed to Ms Kallakorpi as decribed above.
It is reminded that the applications shall be received by the City of Helsinki Registry no later than 3 August 2011 by 15.00. Applications arrived later than 3 August 2011 by 15.00 (Finnish time zone, UTC+2) will be disqualified.
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Q20: In the last series of answers (4 july, A15), you explained what is required by "authorisation to function as the chief designer for the design task". Can you give some more examples of what could be accepted:
- would the engineering, or architecture diploma be sufficient?
- a list of articles that the expert wrote in the technical press, or books?
A20: The general idea is to avail the Promoter with enough information about the professional skills of the proposed designer/experts AND a description of the local system of professional authorization. If there’s no such a system, then this has to be told in the application. It is preferred that the inexistence of such a system is verified by a local professional body. In case there’s an authorization system, the instructions of the file “Application and Reference Document” are to be followed.
The diploma alone will not be sufficient. In addition to the diploma there has to be at least a brief description of the local (applicant’s country of residence’s) system of qualification or authorization of designers or experts. It would be preferred if the mentioned description were one by an authority or a professional body.
The abovementioned is preferred in general as a minimum requirement. In such cases that a designer/expert is working succesfully in a professional field that is not in accordance with his/her original degree or the degree will allow a number of professions, also a list of articles or similar can be used as a partial certificate. In such a case the designer/expert should give the following information in the ”Application and reference Document” 1) a description of the local (designer’s/expert’s country of residence’s) system of qualification or authorization of designers or experts as described above 2) a very brief description of the designer’s/expert’s situation in the professional field with the fact of working succesfully in a professional field that is not in accordance with his/her original degree or that the degree will allow a number of professions 3) the most informative page of the designer’s/expert’s diploma 4) the list of articles or similar.
This all may lead to very small scale images on the certificate page tabs of the Excel file ”Application and reference Document”. In these special cases (and in these cases only) the applicants are allowed to refer to and add annexes to the end of the pdf file printed from the ”Application and reference Document”.
Q21: We wish to participate in the Kruunusillat competition. In our competition-team our office wants to apply as city planners. So we have a question concerning point 2C of the Application and Reference Documents:
Would it be sufficient to insert a document of the Chamber of Architects which certificates, that I am an architect and member of the Chamber of Architects to be accepted as city planner?
A21: Yes, that would be sufficient if the document says that as an architect You are in Your country’s authorization system (or situation) accepted as city planner.
Q22: Firstly we would like to congratulate you on your incredibly well organized and beautifully presented competition for the new and exciting Kruunusillat Bridge Design.
This being said, however, we are somewhat intrigued by your strict regulations concerning the lead designers. We understand that you desire a beautifully executed and experientially rich bridge and landscape solution, thus want to involve the leading experts in bridge design if you are to achieve the sensitive 2km connection this competition sets out to do. We understand your high ambitions, thus the need for criteria like 10 built examples for the lead structural designers and 5 built for the aesthetic designers. Sadly, you appear to be limiting the range of creative minds that could potentially be involved in a very exciting project. Many great architectural companies who have built some of the world’s most significant bridges do not have 5 built bridges in their portfolio, therefore would not be able to lead a team as aesthetic designers. With such strict criteria you are potentially limiting the aesthetic and diverse design solutions this important development of Helsinki deserves as only a small group of well connected experts can fulfill your tight requirements.
We would be interested to see a genuine list your 10 favourite bridge designs to date.
Then list which, if any, of the lead designers of these bridges had 5-10 examples of built bridges before they designed their best work.
A22: The Promoter thanks for the compliments and the constructive critics. As the text above is more a comment than a question, it cannot be thoroughly answered here and no list of the kind asked for is given.
Enough said would be that the structure and logic of the professional requirements have been very thoroughly discussed during planning the competition and comply both with the Finnish legislation and with the best practice as interpreted in construction management in Finland.
It is reminded that the applicants can organize their teams’ internal organizations and also the copyrights, publication rights etc. as they wish. The company principally in change and the chief designer and the number of references are required the way they are required for reasons described above. Meeting the requirements is a question of cooperation and coordination.
Please also familiarize Yourselves with the answer A8.
Q23: We are a [nationality] bridge design office, strongly interested in participating in the international design competition for Kruunusillat (Crown Bridges). For the time being, we would like you to inform us if the Bridge Designer, Aesthetics must obligatorily be an architect or he/she could be a civil engineer with experience in bridge aesthetics.
A23: Basically, best designers/experts are being looked for. It would be sufficient if applicants can plausibly prove a certain candidate’s professional skills (with references etc. as stated in the “Application and Reference Document” and "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document") and that the person is allowed to work in the professional field and task in question in his/her country of residence. Please also see the answer A 20 above and the answer A4.
You are asking the opposite, but it is reminded here also that in order to comply with the minimum requirements, the chief designer responsible for the whole project must be an experienced bridge designer from the professional field of structural design. Most often this means a civil engineer (see the file ”Application and Reference document”, tab 3 and the file "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document", section 3.2). If an achitect is the team leader (chief designer), he/she shall also have the qualification of a structural engineer.
Q24: In regards to the submission of application for the bridge design competition for Kruunusillat, I would like to check with you the following assumption:
The application and reference document states that a statement or certificate from local authorization body or equivalent organization is required from at least one of the aesthetics bridge designers.
Can I assume that even if we apply 2 aesthetic bridge designers, we only need to provide certificate for one person?
I look forward hearing from you, thanks in advance.
A24: Your assumption is correct: a certificate for only one person is required. That person should preferably be the designer in charge.
Q25: I am trying to tick the checkbox on the first page of 2 DESIGNERS aesthetics on the righthand side of the word YES. We have installed the newest Mircosoft Excel Mac 2011and all seems to work well.
Could you please help us out.
A25: This question is understood in the way that You do not succeed at checking a checkbox. No one else has reported this kind of issue. At times this might be solved by changing the zooming and/or clicking elsewhere before/after clicking on the checkbox.
As mentioned in answers A1 and A3, the file has been created and tested on Windows platform only. If You are facing problems on a Mac, unfortunately the most reliable way to solve the issues is to use a Windows PC and an Excel that is as new or newer than version 2007.
Q26: Concerning the Application and Reference Document:
Q26.1: Should the reference projects presented by each member of the group relate directly to the individual in charge in that particular field, or is it acceptable for the reference to be a project executed by the company which he or she represents?
Q26.2: Will CV’s be accepted as additional information along with the application, and will they be reviewed along with the application and reference document or would we be penalised for submitting additional information?
Q26.3: Regarding the ‘design stage’ box in each of the ‘information of project presented as reference’ pages. Please clarify what is meant by this - as the stage of completion will already be outlined in the next question. Multiple stages could have been completed by the same entity. In this instance, is the relevant team required to list which stages they were a part of?
A26:
A26.1: The reference projects presented by each member of the group are to relate directly to the individual in charge in that particular field.
A26.2: Quotation from the "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document", Section 1:
The references of the teams selected for the competition will be evaluated exclusively on the basis of the content of the “Application and Reference Document”. Other materials will not be taken into account in the assessment.
The CV’s are not required, there’s no place for them and in case they are somehow attached they are not taken into account, the only exception possibly being the situation described in the answer A 20: if this is the way of describing why a professional from different field than that of his/her original degree is proposed for a designer/expert. However, attaching CV’s or other additional material will not lead into disqualification.
A26.3: If the project has been built, the design stage shall be the very last one. According to the requirements set in for instance tab 3 of the “Application and Reference Document”, the relevant team member should have played key role in his/her design field. Logically this means that for an approvable reference, the team members should be in charge of the most important design stages. If that is so, no list of which stages the team were a part of is needed. If it is otherwise, there’s a risk that the reference is not approvable.
Q27:
Q27.1 We tried to add more pages in the Excel-file in the References-tab (tab 2B precisely) in order to put more pictures. For instance now there are only 2 A3 pages for 2B.1, but we need more to present the project. How can we add more pages?
Q27.2 Do the 'Clarification of Cooperation' and the Application and Reference Document need to be signed by anyone (e.g. by the team leader and/or the team members)? if yes where and how should they be signed?
A27:
A27.1 Only the available space can be used; adding pages is not possible and not allowed, the only exception being described at the end of the answer A 20.
You can for instance compose an image that consists of several images. The file also allows multiple images in the image area.
A27.2 No signature is required.
Q28: In chapter 1.7 of the competition document it is stated:
"The application package containing the USB memory stick and a single a3-sized printout bundle shall be received no later than 3 august 2011 by 15:00 (finnish time zone, utc+2) at the address listed below. the packages shall be marked with the text “Kruunusillat Bridge Design competition”."
However, only on 29 july the final round of answers will be given. This means to foreign applicants that the final input cannot be taken into account into the competition entry documents, since we have to take into account some days of transport.
Questions:
Q28.1: Could the Promoter please consider postponing the deadline in order to deal with the final answers propery?
Q28.2: Could the Promoter please consider changing the deadline from a 'delivery deadline' into a ' post-stamp deadline' in order to give the same deadline to all applicants, native or foreign?
A28 (A28.1 and A28.2): Unfortunately the answer to both of the questions is no. The answers to this series of questions have been formulated in a manner that should not have much effect on filling the “Application and Reference Document”. Thus the work already done should remain as valid as possible.
Q29: In the "Application and References Document", in all Reference sheets (from References 2A to References 2H),there is a text box where you are asking for: "Designers role in project and share of design entity". In the "Filled-out sample of Application and Reference document", in References 2A. as an example, in this text box you are showing the next answer: "Siltanen, Seppo, designer".
Is that a sufficient answer or you are expecting other information in this text box? If not, could you show an example of a complete answer for this text box? What do you mean with "share of design entity"?
A29: That is a sufficient minimum answer. However, the applicant is allowed and even encouraged to explain more thoroughly but briefly. "Share of design entity" means for instance a brief description of how important a role the designer has played, i.e. how much of the important design solutions the designer has been in charge of etc.
Q30: Our company is from a country where bridge designers and the other experts do not need to be officially approved or certified by any independent body or organization. It is enough with the Professional Degree (for example, Civil Engineering Degree for the Bridge Designers to be authorised to work within the country in the field in question. In order to fill up correctly the Statement (from 2A to 2F) sheets of the "Application and Reference Document", and taking into consideration the local conditions metioned above:
Q30.1: Would it be enough for the Application to present a scanned copy of the Civil Engineering Diploma?
Q30.2: If not, would it be possible to present a scanned copy of a letter of the local Civil Engineers Association/Board saying that "it is enough with the Professional Degree (for example, Civil Engineering for the Bridge Designers) to be authorised to work within the country in the field in question"?
Q30.3: The scanned copy of the Diploma should be presented in original language or should it be translated into English?
A30:
A30.1 and A 30.2: The alternative proposed in Q30.2 is approvable if there are both the diploma and the letter; the alternative proposed in Q30.1 is not approvable. Please see also the answer A 20.
A30.3: The scanned copy of the diploma can be presented only in the original language. It is preferred, though, that a brief inofficial translation be attached (to the image field) of the parts of the text the applicant sees essentially important but possibly not easily understandable.
Q31: Now we are preparing our teams application but for send application we need something like password to confirm that we are applicant for participation in this competition.
A31: Unfortunately we have a difficulty understanding this question. Here’s a set of answers that might help: there’s no password system; You do not need any verification for applying for the competition; You just send the filled-out and other material required in the Competition Programme’s Section 1.7. on time, The file “Application and Reference Document does not need a password (please see A1).
Questions and answers 4 July 2011
Due to technical issues these answers will appear on the website on 5 July 2011 instead of 4 July 2011.
Q6: Could you in the meantime inform us if the second, actual design phase, will be paid?
A6: The intent is that the commission for further design will be awarded to the authors of the winning entry. In other words, the work will be paid for. Please read the complete Section 2.9 of the Competition Programme. In case this question concerns the second stage of the competition itself, the competition compensation is paid along the principles stated in Section 1.1 of the Competition Programme.
Q7: We downloaded the application file [Application and reference Document] from your site concerning the Bridge Design Competition Kruunusillat. Unfortunately we are not able to open the file with windows 2007. Is it possible to get in any other format?
A7: Unfortunately, without knowing more about the problem, it is difficult to offer a solution. Please see A1 on www.kruunusillat.fi/contact-questions-and-answers. There’s no other format available.
Q8: I am in the process of reviewing the Competition Brief [Programme] and found that, in order to apply as ‘Bridge designer, aesthetics’ we should be able to present at least 5 references of implemented bridge or infrastructure projects. Since we do not have such projects in our portfolio, does it mean that we do not fulfill the requirements and can’t present an application under any category? We feel confident in our capability of aesthetically approach the design of a bridge, and have designed buildings in the past that presented very complex structural issues.
A8:In a literal sense, You have understood the intent of the Competition Programme correctly: without bridges in Your office’s portfolio You cannot participate. However, Your office can cooperate with other designers in order to gather and present the required portfolio. It is up to the applicants to organise teams that have the required portfolios; the teams may have internal agreements and contracts in the form the teams themselves wish. It is encouraged to form the teams with all best designers or experts in a flexible way. The promoter only wants to ensure certain level of professional skills in the teams in general. This principle is applied also on other fields of design/expertise.
Q9: There is a requirement in ”Application and reference Document” that needs clarification.
Namely on Sheet 2E: “Statement or certificate from local authorization body or equivalent organization”
-> what does that mean (what kind of document is applicable/enough) when we fill the table for Street and traffic planner?
A9: Please see A15.
Q10: We are interested in the Kruunuvuori bridge competition in Helsinki, and we anticipate to submit for the prequalification. We hope that we can receive all available tender information. Thank you in advance.
A10: Unfortunately the Promoter does not send the documents directly to the applicants. Please visit www.kruunusillat.fi/. It’s all there. [This answer has also been sent directly to the person who asked the question].
Q11: 1. Can you please clarify what is meant by ‘implemented’ projects?
In the context of town planning, masterplans and environmental studies, these projects are generally long term and implementation might mean completion of the work rather than fully constructed projects, and in terms of structural and architectural works we are assuming you mean constructed. Could you please confirm if our understanding is correct?
2. Can you kindly clarify what is required to confirm certification by local authorities of the designated leader in each discipline? In the [country of residence] we belong to professional bodies such as [names followed]. Is chartered membership of these bodies acceptable to meet this requirement?
A11.1: THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY DEFINED HERE (OF ALL COMPETITION DOCUMENTATION): Your understanding is correct. In the context of town planning (category 2C), implementation can also mean completion of the actual planning rather than fully constructed projects. The general principle in the context of town planning shall be to present projects whose construction is, may or may have been reasonably probable. In other words, these projects can’t be polemic and maybe not commissioned pure ideas projects without any official background. This can for instance be indicated by naming the client in the references tabs’ field “Brief description of project” or in the projects’ names. The town planning projects can of course be fully constructed as well. Please see Tab 3’s column “INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING OUT FORM, REFERENCE REQUIREMENTS, AND ADJUSTMENTS” of the “Application and Reference Document” and the file "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document" for definitions.
In terms of other works, in categories 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G and 2H, we generally mean constructed. If there are plausible projects of extremely long term [more than 10 years] in the mentioned categories, also these projects can be regarded as “implemented”. However, the majority of categories’ 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G and 2H projects shall be really constructed if not stated otherwise in Tab 3’s column “INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING OUT FORM, REFERENCE REQUIREMENTS, AND ADJUSTMENTS” of the “Application and Reference Document”. The minimum number of implemented projects required in categories 2A and 2B shall be literally constructed.
A11.2: Please see A15.
Q12: We have trouble filling out the excel sheet (here attached).
- the text in the first column is not visible.
- We don't know how to tick the "yes" columns.
A12: The attached file [attached by the person asking the question] malfunctions as described. Unfortunately the reason for this is unknown. The file available on www.kruunusillat.fi/ works when used with English and Finnish language versions of Excel 2007 or newer. First of all, please check the version of Excel You are using and see A1 on www.kruunusillat.fi/contact-questions-and-answers
Q13: What is meant with “implemented” reference projects for the landscape designers and City planners for instance? The masterplan for a city can be designed and accepted by the client, but the execution of the works can take up to 10 or 20 years from now. Can the designer use a project as reference in the application that is finished for his tasks, but not entirely built?
A13: Please see A11.
Q14: Are the bridges to be designed as a fixed link or may they also contain moveable parts (e.g. lifting bridges)?
A14: During planning the Competition Programme, the bridges in the actual competition area i.e. between Kalasatama and Kruunuvuorenranta have been envisioned to be designed as a fixed link. This is because of the daily requirements of tram traffic schedules (a tram every 5-10 minutes) and water traffic. It is not particularly forbidden to design opening bridges. However, they have to meet the requirements set in the Competition documentation and not hinder the traffic. This question can be discussed further in the Competition Seminar organised for the selected participants.
Q15: Concerning the Application and Reference Document, professional requirements:
In some countries, bridge designers are not officially approved or certified by any independent body or organization. The Clients evaluate designers’ competence mainly on a reference list basis. In practice the designer has to hold at least an M.Sc. degree, but the very evaluation is based on years of experience and references. The practice is in accordance with the EU Public Procurement Directives and the national Law.
I suppose that in such national case it is enough here to prove one’s university degree by a professional organization or by one’s Alma Mater. The references are naturally to be evaluated separately.
A15: The authorisation procedures of professions vary by country being almost inexistent in some countries.
In the selection procedure of the teams this will be interpreted as follows: any plausible document proving that the designer or expert in his/her country of residence is allowed to work as a designer/expert required in his/her category 2A-2H mentioned in the ”Application and reference Document” will suffice.
An example of a valid way to fill out the Statement Tab of the “Application and Reference Document”: If there’s no authorisation procedure in the applicant’s country of residence and a certain degree of professional education allows a person to work in the professional field of categories 2A-2H, this can be described in the Statement Tabs of the “Application and reference Document” as a statement by a professional body or similar; also a web page or such can be referred to. In this kind of case there should be attached a sufficient image of an essential page of a document certifying the designer’s or expert’s degree of education. These both documents shall fit on the Statement Tab of the ”Application and reference Document” .
A chartered membership of a professional body is acceptable to meet this requirement as well if the membership indicates that the person in question is allowed to work in his/her country of residence as a designer/expert required in his/her category 2A-2H mentioned in the ”Application and reference Document”. If this is the case, a statement of the professional body about the topic and a document proving the membership will suffice. These shall be attached as images on the Statement Tab in question.
To clarify a detail, a certain degree like M.Sc. is not required if the designer or expert in his/her country of residence is allowed to work as a designer/expert required in his/her category 2A-2H mentioned in the “Application and Reference Document”.
Q16: Question 1, 2 concerning: 2F. Geotechnical expert
In the document “Filled-out sample of Application and reference Document.pdf” it appears on page 65 in the overview of requirements for the Geotechnical expert that here the same requirements apply as for some other disciples: “10 implemented bridge projects in which the expert has played a key role in his or her design field. The minimum amount must me met.” This number seems extensive as other advisors 2E, 2G, 2H, who’s score are counted equally in pages 105-106 of document “Filled-out sample of Application and reference Document.pdf” only demand: “At least 3 and not more than 5 implemented projects in which the expert has played a key role in his or her design field. The minimum amount must be met.”
1) Please reconfirm the high demands on 2F. Geotechnical expert, with 10 implemented bridge projects.
2) Please clarify, why there is even space for 10 more projects on page 65, whoever the text does not refer
to these additional projects.
A16.1: The Promoter hereby reconfirms the demands on 2F. Geotechnical expert, with 10 implemented bridge projects. This has been regarded as essentially important in this particular case.
A16.2: This seems to be residual from the process of creating the Excel file. The minimum requirements i.e. 10 projects have to be met but there can also be more than 10 projects. However, as the jury does not grade the geotechnical expert, the minimum number of projects is recommended.
Question 3/4 concerning: 2A. Bridge designer, structural
In the document “Filled-out sample of Application and reference Document.pdf” it says on page 5: References: At least 10 implemented bridge projects, in which the designers have played key roles in their design field. Additionally, the designers can present another 10 bridge projects that can be in progress, or can be the kinds of projects, for example competition wins or direct commissions, that could have been implemented. The minimum amount must be met. To us, it seems hardly possible to cover 10-20 reference projects with one/two specialists only, from the applicant team member firm, and still receive the broad response of applicants that the client seems to be after.
3) Could you please specify: Saying “designers”, do you mean the actual one/two individual specialists within the firm, named individually i.e. on top of page 5, or rather the firm that employs them, as a whole?
4) If you really mean the one/two designers per firm as individuals, is it permitted to use references of those individuals that date from a period in which they where actually working with other firms than
those who are applying now as team members?
A16.3: This means individual designers, NOT the firm as a whole. This is because the individuals do the actual work and have the actual experience, not the firms.
A16.4: Yes, it is permitted to use references of those individuals that date from a period in which they where actually working with other firms than those who are applying now as team members as long as the designers have played the keyrole of the projects. See also the principles of A8.
Question 5, 6, general comment:
We would like to compliment the organisers of this competition with the thorough preparation of the selection and design process.
However, we do not see any advantages in using the Excel format for complicated application documents, as suggested. This is also absolutely uncommon. The application papers correctly mention the great danger of corrupting files, which are in this case more than 100 pages long, and larger than 20 Mb! This kind of document should, by standard, be set up in Desk Top Publishing software like Indesign. All requirements could be met using that format, while all ‘heavy’ data is only linked to it instead of being an inserted part of the document as such. The output PDF still would look exactly the same. Apart from that: we doubt the readability of 8pt text on A3 formats, especially when, as in this case, the text blocks are all narrowly lined by thick black outlines.
5) Could you provide the same layout in Indesign INDD format, please?
6) If not so, since only the output PDF is relevant for this application, would it be allowed to use self-made documents in that software, while keeping the structure of the document? Would it be allowed to change the typography slightly and use slightly different thicknesses of outlines in order to make the document more readable, without changing the general layout and position of text and image blocks?
The promoter thanks for the compliments and comments.
A16.5: There are no other formats than xlsx available.
A16.6: According to the Competition Programme’s Section 1.7 the “Application and Reference Document” file filled out with the required information as well as an A3 sized pdf file printed from it shall be included in the application material in addition to the paper version.
This requirement can be modified but only concerning the pdf file and the paper printout bundle as follows: while keeping the structure of the document it is allowed to change the typography slightly and use slightly different thicknesses of outlines in order to make the document more readable, without changing the general layout and position of text and image blocks. However, there should be a filled out xlsx file on the USB memory stick as well.
In cases of file corruption or other difficulties with the xlsx file the pdf and/or the paper version are regarded as the actual application.
Q17: First I would like to congratulate You for the excellent preparation of design competition for your new bridge.
Second I have a question about Application:
1. Is it possible that Bridge designer, aesthetic (2B) and City planner (2C) is the same person? Of course if one possesses professional reference projects and qualifications for both design tasks.
2. Do You intend to publish the Questions-Answers for application stage?
The promoter thanks for the congratulations.
A17.1: As You already answered: If one possesses professional reference projects and qualifications for both or several design tasks, one can be the designer or expert in multiple categories.
A17.2: The the Questions-Answers for application stage are published on www.kruunusillat.fi/contact-questions-and-answers. [This answer has also been sent directly to the person who asked the question]
Q18:...we are not able to even apply in a conglomerate as you specifically ask for designers that work continuously on bridges. The icon of Rotterdam, the Erasmus bridge for example was designed by an architect who had never designed a bridge before. Is there a possibility for a conceptual design practice to engage in a strong team of experienced bridge designers? The Excel document did not foresee in this option.
A18: Please see A8.
Q19: On your tender notice you mentioned the following compensation [a quotation from TED followed]. Could you let us know where is the below is mentioned on the competition website?
A19: The compensation is mentioned in the Competition Programme, Section 1.11, available on www.kruunusillat.fi/.
Questions and answers 13 june 2011
Q1: We cannot open file "Application and Reference Document" and cannot find file "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document"
A1: The pdf file "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document" is in the same zip package as the file "Application and Reference Document" (please click ”Download” on page www.kruunusillat.fi/application).
Please read the file "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document" first. Your question does not describe how the file behaves in Your computer. If it is asking for a password, You most probably are using too old a program version (for instance Excel 2003).
The file has been created using Microsoft Office Excel 2007, language version Finnish and tested also with Microsoft Office Excel 2010, language version English, both on a Windows PC platform . Please note that the Excel program version must be 2007 or later. Please also read the technical chapter 4 in the file "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document". The issue could also be caused by the keyboard layout or alphabet. If the problem persists, we suggest that you try and use the English version (and possibly keyboard + alphabet version as well) of Excel 2010.
Q2: Can I get a copy of the application form in Excel without a password protection?
A2: That kind of version is not available. There’s no need to use the file without the password protection. If Your Excel demands a password, it most probably indicates that You are using too old a version of Excel, probably version 2003. Newer versions of Excel do not ask for a password. Please also see A1 above.
Q3: Is it possible to to make this file work on a MAC computer? It seems to be encrypted and we can not open it.
A3: The file has been tested on Windows PC platform only. At the moment there’s available no version that has been tested to function on a Mac. However, the Excel files should not be dependaple on the platform used. Please also see A1 above.
Learning from previous questions, we have placed a note about the program version in the application section of these web pages.
Q4: I understand that we are able to submit as part of a design team, but could you confirm whether there are any exclusivity issues with this, ie. would it be possible for [name of the firm] to provide engineering design support (as sub-consultants) to more than one architect-led team? Also, one of our architects wishes us to lead, therefore could you kindly confirm if we are able to lead a bid, whilst acting as sub-consultants on other bids?
A4: This issue is solved as follows:
1) In the Application period a) a company may be in position of being principally responsible for projects/applications of any number of teams b) any designers and experts from a company can be in their own employer’s or other companies’ teams but the designers and experts can be in one team per person only.
2) In the competition period a) a company can be principally responsible for any number of teams but there must be a different contact person per each team b) any designers and experts from a company can be in their own employer’s or other companies’ teams but the designers and experts can be in one team per person only.
Please note that in order to comply with the minimum requirements, the chief designer must be an experienced bridge designer from the professional field of structural design. Most often this means a civil engineer (see the file ”Application and Reference document”, tab 3 and the file "Instructions for Filling Out the Application and Reference Document", section 3.2). If an achitect is the team leader (chief designer), he/she shall also have the qualification of a structural engineer.
Q5: Are you prequalifying teams for a design competition? If so when is the date for submission? Is there then the possibility of a 2 stage competition?
In summary my understanding is that: Prequalification is based on previous experience and NOT on a sketch design for the bridge.
A5: Yes, we are prequalifying teams for a design competition. The applications shall be received no later than 3 August by 15.00. (Please see the competition programme, section 1.7) After that the teams will be selected based on their filled-out and delivered Application and Reference Documents (http://www.kruunusillat.fi/application); the best teams will be selected.
