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WELCOME TO

BUILDING COMMISSIONING

101

<Presenter name>Building Commissioning Association

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Presentation ItemsFirst Hour

What is building commissioning? How does building commissioning help

you? Commissioning process Commissioning costs How can the BCA help you?

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Presentation ItemsSecond Hour

Program Phase (Pre-Design) Design Phase Owner’s activities Design professional’s activities Commissioning authority’s activities Selecting the commissioning authority

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What is Building Commissioning?

Building Commissioning is a quality assurance centered process of documentation, training, adjustment, testing, and verification, performed specifically to ensure that the finished facility operates in accordance with the owner’s documented project requirements and the construction documents. It begins in predesign and continues through design, construction, and the life of the facility.

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Don’t I already pay for that?

Design Professional Agreement• doesn’t allow for Cx design time

• doesn’t allow for Cx field time

Construction Contract• Cx requirements not specified

doesn’t require formal Cx program doesn’t include performance criteria doesn’t include witnessed tests not a condition for final acceptance

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Why do I need it?

Failure of traditional methods Complexity

• health, safety, indoor environmental quality

• security

• energy conservation

• comfort control

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Approaches

New Construction Commissioning

• post-construction only• construction only• project-long• pre-design through occupancy

Retro-Commissioning• in existing, un-commissioned buildings

Recommissioning• in previously commissioned buildings

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How Does Building Commissioning Help Me?

Improves comfort Improves reliability Improves air quality Improves productivity Improves equipment life Improves maintainability Improves energy performance

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How Does Building Commissioning Help Me?

Quality assurance centered process• Prevents problems

• Designers focus on owner needs correct design issues early in design improves specification reduces RFI’s & change orders

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How Does Building Commissioning Help Me?

Quality assurance centered process • Contractors focus on quality work

improves submittal process timely delivery of O&M materials catch errors at the start of installation test finished work to verify quality

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How Does Building Commissioning Help Me?

Identifies & corrects deficiencies• Design errors

• Failed equipment

• Installation errors

• Poorly tuned controls

• Improper control sequences

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How Does Building Commissioning Help Me?

Sets clear measurable goals for everyone• Verifies goals are being met throughout the

design and construction phases

Establishes accountability • Changes the way people perform

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New Construction

TheCommissioning

Process

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The Commissioning ProcessPre-Design

Decide to commission Document owner’s project requirements Scope & budget for commissioning Select Commissioning Authority Document commissioning plan Commissioning in design professional

agreements

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Setting Performance GoalsPre-Design

Owner’s project requirements:• Enhanced program document

• Project and design goals

• Functional requirements

• Measurable performance criteria

• Success criteria

• Budgets, schedules

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Setting Performance GoalsPre-Design

Owner’s project requirements:• Energy use goals

• Noise and vibration limits

• Indoor environmental quality goals

• Pressure gradients between spaces

• Lighting quality & illumination intensity

• Power quality and availability

• Level of maintenance required

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The Commissioning Process Design

Refine scope of commissioning Update commissioning plan Document Basis of Design Commissioning specifications

• Include functional performance tests

Commissioning review• Design complies with OPR?

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The Commissioning ProcessConstruction

Commissioning plan & schedule Review controls Write FPT procedures Construction observation Review O&M's & as-builts Training Test, correct & retest Final report

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Testing(Measuring Performance Goals)

Static Component verification tests

• Calibration & output response

TAB (balancing) Functional Performance Tests (FPT’s)

• Equipment & subsystem

System FPT’s Intersystem FPT’s

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The Commissioning Process Post-Occupancy

Maintenance management program Adjust for occupancy Off-season tests Monitoring & verification Continued training Periodic re-commissioning

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The Economics Of Building

Commissioning

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The Economic BenefitsOf Commissioning

Benefits of Commissioning

Costs of NOT

Commissioning

Avoided Costs of

NOT commissioning

Costs to Correct

Deficiencies

+

Costs of Poor

Operation

=

=

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Costs of Not Commissioning

Operations staff time Equipment and materials Occupant impacts Energy costs Central plant impacts Legal fees Intangibles

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Costs of Commissioning

An Initial Budget Setting Thumb-Rule

2 % - 3 % of mechanical construction cost

plus

1 % - 2 % of electrical construction cost

(Based on six science building projects)

How The BCA Can Help

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How The BCA Can Help

Member catalog (website) Performance standards

• Essential attributes

• Elements of commissioning

Training Experience exchange (e-forum)

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Purpose ofBuilding Commissioning

It is BCA’s premise that, “ The basic purpose of building commissioning is to provide documented confirmation that building systems function in compliance with criteria set forth in the Project Documents to satisfy the owner’s operational needs.

Commissioning of existing systems may require the development of new functional criteria in order to address the owner’s current systems performance requirements.”

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Essential Attributes ofBuilding Commissioning

BCA considers the following attributes to be so fundamental to effective building commissioning that all members agree in writing to adhere to them whenever they serve as a project’s Commissioning Authority:

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Attribute 1

The Commissioning Authority (CA) is in charge of the commissioning process and makes the final recommendations to the owner regarding functional performance of the commissioned building systems.

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Attribute 2

The CA is an objective, independent advocate of the Owner. If the CA’s firm has other project responsibilities, or is not under direct contract to the Owner, a conflict of interest exists. Wherever this occurs, the CA discloses, in writing, the nature of the conflict and the means by which the conflict shall be managed.

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Attribute 3

In addition to having good written and verbal communication skills, the CA has current engineering knowledge, and extensive and recent hands-on field experience regarding:a. Building systems commissioning,

b. The physical principles of building systems performance and interaction,

c. Building systems start-up, balancing, testing and troubleshooting,

d. Operation and maintenance procedures, and

e. The building design and construction process.

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Attribute 4

For each project, the commissioning purpose and scope are clearly defined in the CA contract.

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Attribute 5

The CA recommends the commissioning roles and scope for all members of the design and construction teams be clearly defined in:a. Each design consultant’s contract,

b. The construction manager’s contract,

c. General Conditions of the Specifications,

d. Each division of the specifications covering work to be commissioned, and

e. The specifications for each system and component for which the suppliers’ support is required.

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Attribute 6

Each project is commissioned in accordance with a written commissioning plan that is updated as the project progresses. The commissioning plan:a. Identifies the systems to be commissioned,b. Defines the scope of the commissioning

process,c. Defines commissioning roles and lines of

communications for each member of the project team, and

d. Estimates the commissioning schedule.

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Attribute 7

On new building commissioning projects, the CA reviews systems installation for commissioning related issues throughout the construction period.

Attribute 8

All commissioning activities and findings are documented as they occur. These reports aredistributed as they are generated, and included in the final report.

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Attribute 9

The functional testing program objectively verifies that the building systems perform interactively in accordance with the Project Documents. Written, repeatable test procedures, prepared specifically for each project, are used to functionally test components and systems in all modes of operating conditions specified for testing. These tests are documented to clearly describe the individual systematic test procedures, the expected systems response or acceptance criteria for each procedure, the actual response or findings, and any pertinent discussion.

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Attribute 10

The commissioning authority provides constructive input for the resolution of system deficiencies.

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Attribute 11

Every commissioning project is documented with a commissioning report that includes:a. An evaluation of the operating condition of the

systems at the time of functional test completion,

b. Deficiencies that were discovered and the measures taken to correct them,

c. Uncorrected operational deficiencies that were accepted by the owner,

d. Functional test procedures and results,

e. Reports that document all commissioning field activities as they progress, and

f. A description and estimated schedule of requireddeferred testing.

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Valuable Elements ofBuilding Commissioning

Building commissioning is of greatest value to the owner when it provides, throughout the many phases of design and construction, a means of continuously communicating their building systems criteria and rigorously verifying compliance with these. In order to accomplish this, BCA recommends that the building commissioning scope include the following elements.

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Element 1

Prior to design, assist the Owner in evaluating the facility’s requirements regarding such issues as energy conservation, indoor environment, staff training, and operation and maintenance.

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Element 2

Review all phases of design and construction documents for:

a. Compliance with design criteria,

b. Commissioning requirements,

c. Bidding issues,

d. Construction coordination and installationconcerns,

e. Performance aspects, and

f. Facilitation of operations and maintenance,

including training and documentation.

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Element 3

Review the equipment submittals for compliance with commissioning issues.

Element 4

Verify or manage the scheduling and procedures used for system start-up.

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Element 5

Verify that the training for the owner’s operating staff is conducted in accordance with the project documents.

Element 6

Verify that the operations & maintenance manuals comply with the contract documents.

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Element 7

Prior to expiration of the construction contract warranty, assist the owner in assessing systems’ performance and addressing related issues.

PO Box 2016

Edmonds, WA 98020

Voice: 425.774.6909

Fax: 425.771.9588

E-mail: bcxa@bcxa.org

Web: www.bcxa.org