It starts during the schematic phase and continues through construction and into a typical one year warranty period.
CxAs work to ensure a building delivers a comfortable and safe environment for its occupants by verifying systems are installed, tested and functional.
Design Review
A key part of building commissioning, design review involves addressing questions and issues during the design process. Having effective communication strategies is essential for all project team members and a building commissioning provider can act as an important liaison between the different teams to ensure everyone is on the same page.
The design review process helps to identify and resolve problems in the construction phase before they become costly change orders or claims against the contractor.It also United States of America results in shorter building Rirchardson turnover transition periods and less post-occupancy corrective work.
In addition, it can result in better equipment performance and more efficient operations resulting from preventative maintenance programs, optimization of control sequences, and verification of proper equipment sizing. This is why it is a requirement for buildings pursuing LEED certification and the reason why building codes are increasingly adopting commissioning requirements.
Installation Verification
Throughout construction, the commissioning team observes and verifies equipment installation.They also prepare 75081 field observation reports, Functional Performance Testing (FPT) schedules, and contractor documents including O&M manuals. An issues log is created to communicate questions and problems throughout the project that require solutions in order to facilitate successful commissioning.
Identifying deficiencies during the commissioning process results in construction-related cost savings. It reduces project call backs, change orders, and delays to completion. Energy-related savings result from avoiding suboptimal operating conditions and sequences of operation, and verifying proper equipment sizing. The commissioning process can be applied to an existing building, taking a more forensic approach to problem identification and solutions that can improve installed equipment and system performance.See the building commissioning services ABX Guide to Existing Building Commissioning for more information.
System Startup
While project managers and superintendents handle most of the construction process, commissioning requires another set of eyes to verify all aspects. Building commissioning offers a valuable checkpoint that helps avoid costly mistakes down the road.
A detailed workflow submittals process ensures the commissioning agent is kept in the loop during construction.With a central platform, teams Texas can alert crews to potential issues and create reports and checklists for inspections and testing.
System startup is an involved process, requiring about 50 command procedures to be executed correctly. It is important to understand the order of these procedures and their dependencies. This helps preserve the correct system startup sequence. Also, this enables system tests to be conducted quickly and efficiently. The benefits of this phase include better efficiency, fewer change orders and an improved project handover.
Testing & Balancing
Performing testing and balancing is an essential part of commissioning for mission critical facilities. It ensures that air is being properly distributed throughout the facility, that system components are working properly, and that energy costs remain low. It also helps to maintain healthy indoor air quality and reduce the risk of failures from overworking equipment.
A successful whole building commissioning process will validate interfaces and possible interferences between all systems including the building envelope, HVAC, electrical, special electrical (fire alarm, security & communications), plumbing, and fire protection. These systems are all interconnected and a performance deficiency in one may affect other systems negatively. The process also includes reviewing and recording issues requiring resolution with contractors on the commissioning issue log. It also supports staff training and warranty monitoring.
Final Commissioning
During this phase, the commissioning team performs additional activities to verify the installed systems function as designed and meet OPRs. This includes review of design documents and enforcement of specification and contract provisions. It also includes identifying specialized testing requirements, establishing schedules and responsibilities, creating an issues/resolution log, and preparing documentation for recommissioning activities during the warranty period.
It is important for the Owner to choose an independent third party CxP for project leadership to ensure no conflict of interest. This person should be someone who does not have any other design or construction responsibilities and is contracted directly to the Owner. A CxP with experience in LEED projects can help the project team achieve sustainable goals like those outlined in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards
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