Building Commissioning

Building Commissioning

The Commissioning (Cx) process applies to new buildings and major renovations or to existing buildings (Retro-Cx).  Commissioning is a systematic process for ensuring building systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, envelope, etc.) not only function and perform as intended, but will perform efficiently for the long term. Commissioning includes the review of designs, verification of equipment installation and validation of modes of operation. Software data analytics can also be set up to continuously monitor operations and flag potential issues (Monitor-Based or Ongoing Cx).

ASHRAE Standard 202-2013, The Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems, and ASHRAE Guideline 0, The Commissioning Process, define commissioning as:

“A quality-focused process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and documenting that all of the commissioned systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the Owner’s Project Requirements.”

Benefits of Commissioning

Commissioning benefits owners through improved energy efficiency, improved workplace performance due to higher quality environments, and prevention of business losses. In other words, commissioning minimizes costs of corrective maintenance and helps optimize the facility’s operation—benefits that continue long after the building is complete.

NWESI as a Commissioning leader

Commissioning in Portland, Oregon: NWESI has performed commissioning for 25 years, proving equipment systems and facilities operate as designed and perform as required. Experience in fine-tuning and troubleshooting building systems gained by our team through complex TAB projects, laid the foundation for what our Commissioning Services Division is today.

Our firm was among the first in the industry to join the Building Commissioning Association (BCxA), dedicated to advancing best practices and education throughout the building industry. Additionally, NWESI is a member of AABC Commissioning Group (ACG), which focuses on the advancement of independent, third-party commissioning professionals. They provide the Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) and Certified Commissioning Technician (CxT) certifications for individuals. Experience and dedicated professionals, coupled with industry training and certifications, set NWESI apart from other firms.

NWESI’s Commissioning professionals add value from design review through on-site, post-occupancy verification. In many cases, NWESI conducts an ongoing monitor-based commissioning program for the life of the building. In Portland, building commissioning has quickly become common practice as owners and developers demand more from their investments.

COMMISSIONING: LIMITED BY DESIGN

COMMISSIONING: LIMITED BY DESIGN By Erik Rottman, CxA

What exactly is the purpose of the commissioning process? And why are commissioning agents required to refrain from providing solutions to the problems they uncover? A response from one of our Commissioning agents to some of the most frequently asked issues about commissioning restrictions is presented below.

What are the benefits of putting in a commission order?

Building commissioning refers to the process of bringing in a third party that was not involved in the design or construction of the project in order to verify that the systems and equipment that were installed live up to the expectations of the design. Building owners generally collaborate with architects and engineers in the beginning phases of a project to develop a strategy for the construction endeavor. The contractors are responsible for putting that strategy into action. It is the responsibility of the commissioning agent to ascertain whether or not the final product of the project complies with the plans that were created and meets the objectives that the owner set for the undertaking.

To what extent does the inclusion of commissioning in a project provide value?

The level of attention to detail—or lack thereof—that everyone participating in a project demonstrates may have a significant impact on the project's overall level of success. In the end, the owner is the one who pays the price if there are mistakes in the design elements or if the contractors do not follow the blueprints. Commissioning service providers contribute value by recognizing and diagnosing these faults, as well as by facilitating communication between the design team and the installation contractors, with the goal of reducing the amount of problems that the owner inherits upon completion of the project.

Why don't those in charge of commissioning simply address the problems they uncover?

After the highlighted problems have been addressed, the commissioning provider may be asked for their stamp of approval or for some instruction by the contractors. As a supplier of commissioning services, you should be eager to assist in the search for a solution; but, it would be irresponsible of you to take authority in making judgments that are better left to the design team or other specialists. In the event that the purpose of the design does not seem to be met, it is essential that the appropriate individuals be included in the process of decision making. The commissioning process has been restricted on purpose.

Do you have a commissioning project question? For more information, please get in touch with us at Connect.

FIRE SMOKE DAMPER TESTING: WHY IT MATTERS

Fire smoke damper (FSD) testing is a branch of Fire Life Safety measures—codes that are applied to buildings to mitigate the damage done to facilities and occupants in the event of a fire. Fire smoke dampers are devices that sit within HVAC ductwork and are key components in compartmentalizing fire and smoke. Properly functioning dampers prevent harmful fire and smoke from propagating rapidly through a building and give occupants necessary time to exit a facility safely in such an event.

Fire Damage: People and Buildings

It may be surprising to know that many fire related deaths come not from direct contact with fire itself, but from smoke inhalation.1 The question is then, how do you control smoke circulation? Fire smoke dampers attempt to do this by shutting off specific pathways and limiting the amount of smoke that spreads throughout a building, thus limiting the inhalation amount by people who may not be in a safe area yet. These mechanisms with the potential to deter preventable injury make FSD testing necessary for most facilities. Beyond this, properly functioning dampers can help minimize the amount of damage and financial loss in a facility due to fire. The number of fires occurring in a built environment highlight the unpredictability of fire related accidents, as the NFPA reports that “A fire occurs in a structure at the rate of one every 63 seconds” to the cost of billions in damages.2 Testing the functionality of dampers installed in older buildings and new construction is a preventive care that can keep a rare, but not unheard of event, from turning into a catastrophe.

“A fire occurs in a structure at the rate of one every 63 seconds”

Codes, Fines, & AHJs

In new construction all facilities are required to have fire dampers tested one year after certificate of occupancy, and every four years thereafter—except in hospitals where that time frame is  every six years. Due to increased scrutiny of code enforcement of NFPA codes 80 and 1053, FSD testing has become a more in-demand service as owners are becoming aware of the legal and potentially deadly ramifications that come from having inoperable dampers. A number of these oversights and their fixes have become public, as safety concerns become paramount for schools, healthcare facilities, and others. Failing to produce documentation for verified damper functionality for the local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) during building inspections can be accompanied by fines, the facility being shutdown, or a halt in receiving federal and state funds.

Who Needs FSD testing?

Code enforcement of FSD testing by federal, state, and local AHJs has broadened from the healthcare sector to:

• Assisted Living and Acute care facilities

• Transitional care and Rehabilitation facilities

• Commercial buildings

• Educational institutions

Fire Smoke Damper testing is a service that seems superfluous until it’s necessary. Verifying these devices work in buildings can make a difference in fire-related events not only for the buildings themselves, but for the people who live and work in them.

Sources

1 NFPA Reporters Guide, ABA Burn Incidence Fact Sheet  2 NFPA Fire Loss 2017    3 NFPA 80, 105

https://sites.google.com/view/fire-smoke-damper-testingt6a