BUILDING COMMISSIONING

Ball State Architecture | ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS 2 | Grondzik 1

Your guide is

Former Member GPC-0

Former Member GPC-1
Corresponding Member SGPC-0
Chair GPC 1.3
Member SSPC-202
Member IESNA CX GL committee
Consultant GPC-0.2
Presenter: ASHRAE 3-hour basic CX course
Developer: ASHRAE 3-hour Standard 202 CX course

Ball State Architecture | ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS 2 | Grondzik 2

 2013
Presentation
Context

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What is Commissioning?

A structured quality control process

intended to ensure that a building, when
delivered, meets the
owners project requirements
immediately upon turnover.

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 What is Commissioning?

An ongoing process

NOT an event
NOT a short-term activity

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What is
Commissioning?

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 What can be Commissioned?

Buildings
Building systems
Active (dynamic)
Passive (static)
Building sub-systems

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Why Commissioning?

Because stuff happens

Poorly identified owner needs/wants
Poorly executed work
Design
Construction
Operation/maintenance
Ineffective communications

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 Why Commissioning?
stuff

stuff

stuff

stuff

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Why Commissioning?

stuff

stuff

stuff

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ASHRAEs CX Role Past
ASHRAE Guideline 1-1989

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ASHRAEs CX Role Past

ASHRAE Guideline 1-1996

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 ASHRAEs CX Role Now
ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013

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ASHRAEs CX Role Now

ASHRAE Guideline
1.1-2007

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 ASHRAEs CX Role Future
ASHRAE Guideline 0: Process
ASHRAE Guideline 1.1: HVAC&R
ASHRAE Standard 202: Process < code language >
ASHRAE Guideline 0.2: Existing CX Process
ASHRAE Guideline 1.2: Existing HVAC CX
ASHRAE Guideline 1.3: CX Training
ASHRAE Guideline 1.4: Systems Manual
ASHRAE Guideline 1.5: Smoke Control
ASHRAE Guideline 1.6: ????
Certification
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What Guideline Does What

Guideline 0 defines the process
Generic: for any system or discipline
The basis for all subsidiary guidelines

Guideline 1.1 describes how to apply the

process to HVAC&R systems
HVAC&R specifics
Lots of annexes (examples)
No changes in process, but elaboration

Other guidelines for other disciplines/issues

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 NIBS Guideline 3
(National Institute of Building Sciences)
about to become an ASTM document

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ASHRAE Guideline 0
Title, Foreword, Purpose, Scope,
Utilization, Definitions
Project Delivery Phases
Pre-Design
Design
Construction acceptance
Occupancy and Operations
References
Annexes (many)
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 The Guideline 0 Process
Communication
Documentation
Verification

Essentially describes a team effort to

assure quality that is led by an
independent party (the commissioning
provider) working on behalf of the owner

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The Commissioning
Process Team
Many members
Members change from phase to phase
Guided by the commissioning provider
Team will complete various tasks
Responsibility for tasks must be clearly
allocated and contractually assigned
Roles and responsibilities will change from
project to project

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 Pre-Design Phase CX Activities

Hire Commissioning Provider

Develop Owners Project Requirements (OPR)
document
Intent and criteria; objectives and benchmarks;
Develop draft Commissioning Plan document
Scope, budget, schedule
Develop contractual relationships for design
professionals
Obtain owner acceptance of documents

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Design Phase CX Activities

Develop Basis of Design document
Update Owners Project Requirements
Update and expand Commissioning Plan
Develop Checklists and Test Protocols
For implementation (typically) by contractor
Develop Training Plan
For implementation (to a large extent) by contractor
Obtain owner acceptance of all the above

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Construction Phase CX Activities
Update Basis of Design document
Update Owners Project Requirements
Update Commissioning Plan
Implement Checklists / Test Protocols
Sampling is recommended
Implement Training Plan
Prepare Systems Manual
O&M manual plus
Attempt to minimize punchlist issues
Obtain owner acceptance of work

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Occupancy and Operations

Phase CX Activities
Update Owners Project Requirements
Update Commissioning Plan
Implement deferred Checklists and tests
Implement deferred training
Complete Systems Manual
Obtain owner acceptance of work
Ideally implement ongoing commissioning
process

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 Keys to a Successful
Commissioning Process
Explicit expectations for all involved
Clear RFQ and contract for CX provider
Professional service contracts (especially for
the design team) that address commissioning
Construction specifications that clearly
address commissioning requirements and
provide clear statements of who and if-then

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Keys to a Successful
Commissioning Process
Effective process documents
Owners Project Requirements
Basis of Design
Commissioning Plan
Construction Checklists
Test Protocols
Training Plan
Systems Manual
Commissioning Process Reports

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 OPR Intent/Criteria

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Keys to a Successful
Commissioning Process

Ongoing informative communications

Commissioning meetings and minutes
Commissioning reports
Issues Log
Commissioning documents in general

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 Keys to a Successful
Commissioning Process
Verification by the commissioning team
Of OPR-influencing design decisions
Design validation
Of OPR-influencing installed equipment,
systems, assemblies
Construction validation
Using Construction Checklists
Using test protocols
Against Owners Project Requirements
(discuss)
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Keys to a Successful
Commissioning Process
Owner acceptance
Of all key deliverables/products

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 Key Guideline-0
Recommendations
The design team is responsible for design
and design quality
The commissioning team will verify design artifacts for
compliance with the Owners Project Requirements
using statistical sampling
The contractor is responsible for
construction and construction quality
The commissioning team will verify construction
artifacts for compliance with the Owners Project
Requirements and the Construction Documents using
statistical sampling
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Key Guideline-0
Recommendations
Start commissioning at pre-design
The Owners Project Requirements are the
validation benchmark (not just CDs)
Use an independent commissioning provider
Establish a viable commissioning team
Use statistical sampling (versus 100%)
All activities to be explicitly defined ahead of
time (no surprises)

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