Commissioning of sustainable commercial buildings

Article Rating:

2 votes

This article provides an overview to issues related to the commissioning of sustainable commercial buildings.

Summary

Building commissioning is critical for achieving optimum building performance, as determined in the design process. Commissioning is a systematic process whereby the performance of a building and its systems are tested, documented and then checked against design specifications (and increasingly against the initial design intent) and the owner's and occupants' operational needs. Where performance does not match the design intent, changes are made to ensure that the relevant systems function properly and produce the desired outcomes. Traditionally, this process has been undertaken by installation contractors to demonstrate to the head contractor or owner that installed plant and equipment meet specifications. To achieve more sustainable outcomes, and particularly to test installations against design intent, commissioning is increasingly being carried out by qualified, and preferably independent, commissioning agents.

Traditionally, commissioning tended to be a nuisance, and was conducted at the end of the building process. It was often rushed and incomplete, and irregularities were frequently overlooked as contractors wound up their site presence and moved on to their next job. However, as the importance of sustainability has increased, commissioning has become a more integrated part of the whole delivery process and must now be considered as part of the design, construction, handover, start-up and operational phases.

A properly commissioned building will not only meet specifications, but will improve building function and operation, increase user comfort, improve air quality, reduce operation and management problems, ensure fully-tuned system integration, ensure efficient energy and water use, and ensure that the original design intent for the building is achievable after final completion. This requires careful planning to integrate commissioning into design thinking, such that project documentation clearly and unambiguously requires attention to all elements of commissioning. The outcome will be a building that achieves intended performance outcomes with respect to sustainability and that has benchmarks from which the future performance of the building can be measured — a building that works the way it was intended to work, not just at start-up, but after occupation and throughout its operational life.

Finally, buildings should be recommissioned every three to five years, as systems tend to drift from their 'as-installed' conditions over time due to normal wear, user requests and facility modifications. Programmed recommissioning, sometimes referred to as 'retro-commissioning', will ensure that optimum performance is achieved and that desired performance ratings are maintained over time.

Definitions

There are a number of key definitions in this section. These are not formal definitions in a dictionary sense, but rather explanations of how the terms are used in, and relate to, this article.

Building commissioning: In the broadest sense, building commissioning refers to a process for achieving, verifying, and documenting that the performance of a building and its various systems meets design intent and the owner's and occupants' operational needs. The process ideally extends through all phases of a project, from concept to occupancy and operation.

Building management committee (BMC): A BMC is established by the building owner and the tenant(s) to measure and monitor building performance, and to take all reasonable measures to achieve or exceed energy and water use targets and other building operational benchmarks.

Building systems: Building systems include architectural, mechanical, electrical and control systems (along with their respective sub-systems, equipment and components), all of which must be commissioned.

Building tuning: Building tuning refers to the ongoing process of adjustment of building equipment and systems to optimise performance, maintain environmental ratings and continuously improve occupant satisfaction with the building.

Commissioning: The National Conference on Building Commissioning defines Commissioning as a systematic process of assuring, by verification and documentation, that all facility systems perform interactively in accordance with the design documentation and intent, and in accordance with the owner's operational needs, including preparation of operation personnel. Commissioning should take place from the design stage to a minimum of one year after construction has been completed.

Commissioning agent: A commissioning agent is the person or company engaged for the specific task of commissioning a building. Preferably, this agent should be an independent party retained on behalf of the party that owns the building at the point of handover, and should be appointed during the design stages of the project.
Commissioning authority: The commissioning authority is the qualified person, company or agency that plans, coordinates and oversees the entire commissioning process. The commissioning authority may also be known as the commissioning agent.

Commissioning final report: The commissioning final report is the document prepared during the acceptance phase of the commissioning process, after all functional performance tests have been completed. It includes the executive summary, a building description, and the completed commissioning plan, as well as all documentation generated during the process, including the completed commissioning test plans.

Commissioning issues log: The commissioning issues log lists all equipment or systems malfunctions that require team resolution.

Commissioning plan: The commissioning plan is a document prepared for each project that describes all aspects of the commissioning process, including schedules, responsibilities, documentation requirements, and functional performance test requirements. The level of detail depends on the scope of commissioning specified.

Commissioning test plan: The commissioning test plan is a document that details the pre-functional performance test, the functional performance test, and the necessary information for carrying out the testing process for each system, piece of equipment, or energy efficiency measure. The test plans are included as an appendix to the final report.

Construction check-list: A construction check-list ensures that the specified equipment has been provided, is properly installed, and has initially started and checked out adequately in preparation for full operation and functional testing.

Construction manager: A construction manager is an organisation that has the role of managing the construction team and various contractors to build and test the building systems for the project. The construction manager also works with the commissioning authority to identify and correct any deficiencies.

Design document: The design document records all the details of the design intent.

Design intent: The design intent is a detailed technical description of the ideas, concepts and criteria defined by the building owner to be important. It should include facility functional and environmental needs. The design intent is developed by the design team from descriptions provided by the building owner.

Design professionals: Design professionals are the architects, engineers, or other parties responsible for the design and preparation of documents for the various building systems.

Energy efficiency measure: An energy efficient measure refers to any equipment, system or control strategy installed in a building for the purpose of reducing energy consumption and enhancing building performance. An energy efficiency measure may also be called an energy conservation measure.

Functional performance test: A functional performance test refers to the full range of checks and tests carried out to determine whether all components, sub-systems, systems, and interfaces between systems function in accordance with the contract documents. In this context, 'function' includes all modes and sequences of control operation, all interlocks, conditional control responses, and all specified responses during design day and emergency conditions. Functional tests are performed after construction check-lists have been completed.

Handover: Handover is the formal acceptance by the building owner that construction of the building is substantially complete and that it is ready for occupancy; that all systems have been installed correctly and are operational; and that a handover commissioning record has been completed and is available for the owner.

Head contractor: For this article, a head contractor is defined as the main contractor engaged to be responsible for the majority of work on a building site, including sub-contract work, materials and labour supplies.

Pre-functional performance test: A pre-functional performance test involves a series of tests for specified equipment or systems, which determine that the systems are installed correctly, start up, and are prepared for the functional performance tests. Often these tests are in a check-list format. The pre-functional test check-lists may be completed as part of the normal contractor start-up test.

Recommissioning: Recommissioning refers to the periodic re-testing of building systems, using the original functional performance tests to ensure the equipment continues to operate as designed. The purpose of recommissioning is to ensure that the facility continues to perform as expected over its useful life.

Seasonal performance tests: Seasonal performance tests include the full range of test procedures carried out to determine if all components, equipment, systems and interfaces between systems function according to design intent during heating or cooling design days.  When it is not practical to perform the test during an actual design day, these conditions may be simulated.

System commissioning: In a narrower sense, system commissioning refers to the act of statically and dynamically testing the operation of equipment and building systems to ensure they operate as designed and can satisfactorily meet the needs of the building throughout the entire range of operating conditions.

Third-party commissioning: Third-party commissioning refers to the use of a commissioning agent that is independent of other parties to the delivery of the building project.

The importance of commissioning

• The commissioning cycle
• A whole-systems approach
• Commissioning and sustainability
• Participants and their motivations
  • Head contractor
  • Building owner
  • Commissioning agent or engineer
• Drivers for change in commissioning
  • Sustainability
  • Quality
  • Technology

Commissioning is essential to ensure that the design intent of a building is met in the building's actual operations. Proper commissioning, when completed using a whole-systems approach, ensures that all parts of the building work together for the most efficient operation, as originally anticipated and designed. This can save enormous amounts of energy and water, and prevent large amounts of greenhouse gases from being released throughout the life of the building. To ensure these operations are maintained, the commissioning process needs to be repeated periodically.

The commissioning cycle

A new set of drivers is now refocusing attention on the commissioning processes of the commercial building delivery chain. No longer is it good enough to simply commission building services just before handover and trust that they will run as designed for the life of the building.

Traditionally, commissioning was seen as something that the project manager organised on behalf of the developer, just before handover, to ensure that all installed equipment was present and working, and that all construction contracts could be signed-off as practically complete. This approach ensured that contractors could get on to their next job without having to hang around to tune systems to perfection. At a time when energy was regarded as 'nothing to worry about', resolving small equipment irregularities and poor system integration was a not high priority item. This approach is no longer sufficient for the delivery of high-performance sustainable buildings.

Sustainable outcomes over the whole of a building's life cycle now demand that commissioning be viewed as a component of every phase of the building delivery process, commencing with the design phase. Commissioning then extends through the construction process, into the warranty period and beyond, where it may become known as recommissioning. In brief, the commissioning process entails developing clear and complete design and operational intent documentation, verifying and documenting proper equipment and system performance, ensuring that appropriate operations and maintenance (O&M) documentation is left with the building operating staff, and ensuring that the building operators are sufficiently trained.

Building commissioning must now be viewed as part of the integrated delivery process. It is a team effort, requiring clear communication and cooperation by all project participants. The left figure illustrates this integrated approach running through the whole project delivery process.

A well-planned and managed commissioning program can assist in overcoming many of the shortcomings that result from poor project documentation and site conflict. Some of these shortcomings include:

• design intent not clearly evident in project documentation
• inadequate experience/training for more complex building systems
• site variations, unapproved substitutions, project time and cost over-runs
• specialisation resulting in a greater number of contractors on site
• conflict between design specifications and formal standards
• a lack of consideration of accessibility for testing and maintenance
• no guidance on performance testing and tuning of equipment and systems
• poor operations and maintenance manuals
• a lack of training of operational staff.

While identifying the opportunities for good commissioning, planning for whole-systems commissioning, and implementing an integrated commissioning program will assist in rectifying deficiencies, there can be no better way of overcoming the above shortcomings than eliminating them from the start.

A whole-systems approach

Source: Price & Stannus, 2005

The commissioning of integrated and interdependent systems requires a whole-system approach, as distinct from a functional approach looking only at the operation of systems on an individual basis. Whole-system commissioning also needs to be broad in its scope, as the building (including all its active systems, its passive design features, and its occupants) will increasingly become 'the system'.

It is essential that the designer clearly sets out how systems are to interact. It is not adequate to simply leave it to the installation and commissioning team to sort out the details. At best, this will result in systems installed and commissioned to function in isolation, with perhaps some limited integration. This approach is very unlikely to produce a fully integrated, properly performing system.

In the first instance, design phase integration across services and packages is primarily a coordination process. The designer should clearly specify:

• the scope of works
• the associated works to be carried out by other tradespeople and the builder in connection with the scope of works
• the interfaces and interdependencies between services.

If not properly defined by the designer and managed by the installer, issues associated with coordination of services often arise in the commissioning phase, where they can have substantial impact on the commissioning program by delaying start-up and occupation whilst the issue is resolved, and sometimes degenerating into litigious situations.

The nature of the integration however can change quite substantially when a building/facility management regime is introduced and the building is occupied after practical completion. Integration now has to occur between the building services and the occupants. Where occupancy patterns provide inputs to determining start/stop times and load-related control, this may be relatively straightforward. However, when the occupants play a dynamic and active role in building systems control (as they can in some types of hybrid or adaptive ventilation systems), the integration challenge increases markedly. The building or facility manager has a critical role to play in managing expectations and monitoring the performance of services.

Commissioning and sustainability

Commissioning is the beginning of a 'reality check' for the building. It is the point where predicted outcomes are tested against actual building performance. The final commissioning report will tell whether the building has the potential to deliver the design outcomes or energy efficiency targets set by the owner/designer team. Commissioning will confirm the energy or environmental star-rating of the design.

Building owners, contractors and vendors are becoming increasingly aware of the many benefits to be derived from a better managed quality design and construction program resulting from an integrated commissioning process. In addition to ensuring that the building meets regulatory requirements, a properly commissioned building improves building functions and operations, resulting in increased comfort, better air quality, and fewer operations and maintenance (O&M) problems.

During construction, building commissioning:

• identifies and meets owner requirements in accordance with the design intent
• helps meet cost objectives by reducing costly change orders due to errors and omissions
• reduces contractor call-backs, allowing the contractor to focus efforts on other projects and obtain payments on schedule
• reduces construction time, due to fewer conflicts and change orders.

Commissioning relates to sustainability because it is involved with the operation of a completed building. If a building does not operate efficiently, then water and energy will be wasted, and there will be associated impacts on sustainability. Commissioning also improves user comfort and productivity, and thus is also important for economic reasons.

Participants and their motivations

There are three main participants in the commissioning process: the head contractor, the building owner, and the commissioning agent or engineer. The motivations of each of these participants are discussed below.

Head contractor

In the latter stages of the construction project, the focus of the construction team is on securing a certificate of occupancy, as the head contractor generally considers that the project is substantially complete when the certificate of occupancy is secured. Generally, the requirements for a certificate of occupancy are that all fire and safety systems are working, that all major equipment is in place and operational, and that all architectural elements and finishes are complete. The key items for sign-off by the authority to issue an occupancy permit relate to life safety equipment, power and ventilation.

Building owner

In most cases, the building owner would agree that substantial completion is attained when the certificate of occupancy is acquired. The owner's thought process normally appears to be that when the building is 'functional' and meets the requirements of any applicable legislation, then the building is substantially complete and all outstanding issues become 'punch list' items.

An additional owner expectation associated with substantial completion is that all training and operations and maintenance (O&M) manual requirements be contractually completed. The importance of thorough staff training on all building elements and systems, as well as complete O&M manuals, cannot be under-estimated. It is imperative that clarity of system design and proper maintenance protocols are transferred to the owner's staff if optimum performance is to be sustained over the life of the building.

Commissioning agent or engineer

The commissioning agent or engineer is engaged to carry out the commissioning process. Substantial completion is attained when all of the following requirements have been met:

• All architectural elements and functions have been completed.
• All contractual obligations for equipment and system installation of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, life safety, and fire protection systems is completed, inclusive of:
  • equipment installation - 100%
  • equipment start-up, including completed start-up reports
  • controls completion, including completed 'point to point' check-out sheets
  • complete air and water system balancing reports.

Since commissioning is essentially an 'acceptance process,' inherently commissioned systems need to be 'complete', with a limited and defined list of non-compliance issues and rectification details.

Drivers for change in commissioning

Bryon Price (B.Eng. M.AIRAH FIEAust CPEng), a mechanical engineer and the Business Development Director for the A.G. Coombs group of companies, identifies three main and interdependent drivers that are forcing change in the commissioning phase of the building delivery chain. These drivers are sustainability, quality and technology (Price, 2006).

Sustainability

Sustainability is arguably the biggest issue influencing the building industry at the present time. There is now a greater understanding of the effects that buildings have on the environment and the need to minimise these over the long term. There is also an increasing understanding of the importance of ongoing performance outcomes, particularly with respect to energy and water consumption, and that these outcomes are effectively set by commissioning.

As a result of this growing understanding, a number of energy and environmental building rating systems have been developed, such as the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating system (ABGR) and the Green Building Council of Australia Green Star suite of environmental rating tools. While ABGR has no direct impact on commissioning, it is likely that a building will receive a low ABGR if it is not properly commissioned. The Green Star rating tool also has very specific requirements in this area, and offers credits where:

• it is demonstrated that comprehensive pre-commissioning, commissioning and quality monitoring are contractually required to be performed by the appropriate contractors and trades on site (in accordance with the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Guideline 1 and the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Commissioning Codes)
• the credit above is achieved and the design team and contractor are required to transfer information and documentation to the building owner/manager
• it is demonstrated that a commitment is made to a firm 12-month commissioning building tuning period after handover. This requires minimum quarterly reviews and a final recommissioning after 12 months of operation
• it can be demonstrated that an independent commissioning agent has been appointed to provide commissioning advice to the client and the design team and to monitor and verify the commissioning of HVAC and building control systems.

Comprehensive evidence is required for audit by an independent assessor in order to achieve these credits; therefore, the independent commissioning agent has the opportunity to become a powerful agent of change.

Quality

Quality is making a comeback to building services after a substantial downgrading during the late 1980s and 1990s. There is now a significant concentration of building ownership in the hands of institutional-type investors with a long-term focus on the performance of their assets. This translates to a new appreciation of life cycle issues, as well as an improved understanding of the correlation between well-performing building services and tenant satisfaction and retention. This is particularly true with air-conditioning and the developing empirical connection between the quality of the indoor air environment and occupant health and productivity.

The broader market is also being influenced by institutional demand for increased quality, with higher expectations of installed services and much higher expectations for their performance over time. Again, it is becoming recognised that this relates strongly back to the commissioning of the building and its systems.

Technology

Technology plays a central role in the quest for better performing buildings and building services. Building services systems have become very sophisticated and are increasingly integrated and interdependent. This has made the design process and installation more complicated, and has significantly increased the complexity of the challenge that faces building services commissioners in delivering the performance promised by the system's design and the technology itself.

These drivers are challenging the design and construction process to deliver a much improved product. A close integration of the design, construction and commissioning processes is required to deliver a high performance, operationally energy-efficient, and environmentally conscious building. In order to deliver more sustainable outcomes, significant changes are required to the way that we traditionally go about the building delivery process.

Source of major impacts in the commissioning process

• Why is commissioning sometimes rushed?
• Energy, greenhouse gases and water
• Development and retention of the building knowledge database
  • Design stage
  • Construction, commissioning, handover and building tuning

Commissioning in itself has almost no sustainability impact. It is essentially a process for checking that everything is where it should be, and that systems are operational. However, one major area of impact comes from ill-planned and rushed commissioning, where items may be overlooked, where systems may not be checked or may be passed as acceptable when they are in fact below optimal operational levels, and where full commissioning documentation is not properly compiled and passed over to the owner and/or operator.

Why is commissioning sometimes rushed?

The period immediately before operational start-up and occupation of a building is the most critical in ensuring energy and sustainability design intent will actually be achieved. It is during this period that the construction check-lists and functional testing of all building services take place.

However, this is also a period when contractors are under great pressure to complete their on-site work, and move on to their next job. Similarly, clients can see an essentially complete building and will be anxious to commence their fit-out and occupation. These pressures often lead to incomplete checks, inadequate testing, and a rush to handover the building. Inevitably, this rush leaves the building with individual equipment items signed-off as 'operating satisfactorily', but with little, or poorly tuned, system integration, meaning that the building never achieves its sustainability design intent.

Inadequate post-construction checking and testing against design intent will fail to establish initial building benchmarks, with the consequence that the building owner/operator will never really know if the building is running as efficiently as the designers originally intended. Poor commissioning and ill-tuned building systems are the main cause of many high star-rated designs performing at less than rated expectations (Bannister, 2006).

Energy, greenhouse gases and water

The process of commissioning a building involves the consumption of energy and water, in order to test and tune equipment, balance systems, and check that controls are operating as intended to deliver design requirements. While this is largely unavoidable, planning to ensure that the appropriate personnel, test and metering equipment, and documentation required for each commissioning task are available when required will avoid the need for excessive running times and duplication of tasks. This will keep energy and water consumption to a minimum, and prevent excessive emission of greenhouse gases.

Development and retention of the building knowledge database

Source: Price & Stannus, 2005

The key principle behind the project knowledge value chain is that the knowledge base in relation to the design, installation, performance and operation of a building project should be continuously developed, captured and managed. The focus is therefore on transfer of knowledge from one stage of a building's life cycle to the next, with an aim to convert information and learning into retained knowledge. This concept is depicted in the left figure.

To determine the key requirements of the model, it is necessary to consider the information or knowledge generated at each stage of the project and what needs to be retained for future reference by the various stakeholders in the project and the building's life cycle. It is also worth considering what documentation is typically available from each stage as the project progresses.

Design stage

The design process is principally concerned with developing and defining the brief, the concept design and schematic designs. This is the critical high-value component of the engineering service. Design development further refines the design and provides the documentation to allow the project to progress.

From a services design perspective, the critical aspect of the design process is the schematic design and the control strategies. Without a clear view of how the systems are intended to work and how they can be commissioned, it is foolhardy to proceed to design development.

Whilst generic quality specifications (e.g. Natspec) provide clarity in terms of standards and quality assurance processes, specification writers need to ensure that the project-specific requirements are fully documented.

Design documentation is not necessarily the same as documentation suitable for obtaining competitive tenders. As the name suggests, tender documentation should document the design to actually add value and should include:

• a project description, providing an overview of the project and the design objectives including factors such as energy or environmental rating requirements
• a description of the services, including any special requirements or design features etc.
• design criteria
• schematic drawings that include key design information, control strategies and equipment sizing
• control strategies
• commissioning requirements and acceptance criteria.

This information should be retained, as it provides a solid basis for the commissioning process to begin.

Construction, commissioning, handover and building tuning

To be effective, the commissioning process should be fully integrated with the tendering, construction and handover processes. Whilst some installers outsource commissioning, commissioning input at an early stage can avoid costly mistakes later on in the project.

Commissioning activities in the tendering, construction and handover process should include:

• an initial review of the design and proposed equipment selections to ascertain any potential issues
• review of the control strategies and system schematics
• review of the metering and test points for energy consumption and performance tests
• review of the shop drawings to ensure that the installation can be adequately maintained
• prototype testing for noise and performance, with actions taken to avoid the need to carry out remedial work
• preparation of the commissioning management plan, outlining the sequence of activities, key dependencies and inspection test plans
• preparation of inspection test plans, which are fully integrated into the design process by tracing their acceptance criteria back to the specification or relevant performance standard
• regular site inspections to ensure sensor locations, access provisions, test points etc. are not compromised by general construction or other trades
• completion of the pre-handover commissioning activities and preparation of the records
• completion of seasonal building tuning activities during defects liability/warranty period and preparation of tuning records and guidelines
• input to energy and water efficiency improvements to achieve building performance (star rating) targets
• progressive operator/maintainer training
• input to operating and maintenance manuals.

At the completion of the commissioning process (usually at handover, although preferably at the end of the warranty period), the future of the system knowledge hangs in the balance. It is at this point that the major dislocation in the knowledge chain typically occurs, with often only limited design, installation and commissioning knowledge captured and effectively passed on to subsequent stakeholders in the building. It is important that protocols and procedures be put in place to archive the relevant knowledge in an appropriate format and to ensure that it is passed on to the relevant parties.

It is important to note that the production of relevant and particular commissioning records is required for specific credits towards accreditation of the building's actual performance under the Green Star rating system.

For regulatory compliance, the commissioning and testing of fire and life safety essential services is required for certification. Annual testing to prove that the systems still operate in accordance with their design intent and the performance levels recorded at practical completion is required for ongoing certification. The integrated knowledge model therefore should provide the following documentation in a maintenance and operating manual to support the annual testing task:

• key information from the specification forming the inputs to the project, including system description, design criteria and possibly relevant fire engineering requirements in a performance-based design
• the functional control descriptions
• final system schematics
• key user intervention actions relating to the operation of the system, including clearing of faults etc.
• inspection test plans for the essential services and critical plant
• warranties.

Whilst the information to be captured in this knowledge model is significantly more than is delivered today by most construction processes, it should be noted that the knowledge already exists in the building delivery process and any additional costs involved in capturing this are more likely to be investments in organisation and forethought, rather than costs for additional resources.

Policies, regulations and standards

Apart from ensuring compliance with respect to building codes, wiring rules, gas regulations, fuel and hazardous materials storage regulations, and fire and safety regulations, there are no regulations defining or requiring conditions on the commissioning process itself.

However, good guidance material is available on which to base company policy with respect to commissioning. The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers
(CIBSE) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) both have excellent guidance on integrated commissioning.

Measures and assessment

'If it ain't measured, how the hell can you manage it?'

There are many variations of this adage, but essentially if you don't know your building's potential, you will probably be happy with less than optimal performance and you'll never really know just how good the building can be. The best time to start assessing the performance of a building is when everything is brand new and in top working condition. Therefore, commissioning is of critical importance for setting the benchmark for future performance over the life of the building.

The best way of knowing what your building is capable of achieving is by starting a building log book as part of the commissioning process.

Building log books

Source: The Carbon Trust, CIBSE & BIFM, 2003

For many years, cars have been provided with user handbooks; yet most buildings lack a simple and easy to understand summary of how they are meant to work. Building log books are intended to give facility managers a clear and concise summary of their building, its services and intended operation. There are a number of reasons why all facility managers need a log book.

The commissioning and handover stages of a contract seldom receive the time and attention they deserve, which means that facility managers seldom becomes conversant with the building before it is occupied.

The operations and maintenance (O&M) manual, usually a set of large documents, provides much detailed information but little on the overall design and management philosophy, leaving the facility manager 'flying blind'. To run the building effectively and efficiently, the facility manager has to know how the building is intended to work and what maintenance requirements there are, without having to assimilate all the detailed information contained in the O&M manual.

New facility managers, consultants and contractors are also 'flying blind' when they come in to unfamiliar buildings. The lack of a logged history often leads to decisions contrary to the original design intent. There is currently no single document where alterations to the building can be logged. Equally, there is no single document where building performance can be recorded, allowing possible excessive consumption to go unnoticed.

The building log book seeks to address these problems so that buildings, which are valuable and complex assets, can be managed more effectively and efficiently.

Opportunities for improving performance

• Why is a third-party commissioning agent important to sustainability?
• Performance disclosure
• The building management committee

The commissioning process provides opportunities for ensuring that energy and water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, are as low as possible, and that all systems are delivering optimal performance. The cost of running equipment and systems a little longer during commissioning to ensure properly tuned systems will be far offset by the energy and water saved in building operation.

Why is a third-party commissioning agent important to sustainability?

The US Building Commissioning Association considers that the appointment of a third-party commissioning agent is important for sustainability because 'the commissioning agent (CA) is an objective, independent advocate of the owner who leads, plans, schedules and coordinates the commissioning team. 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' (Building Commissioning Association, 2007).

Likewise, ASHRAE (2005) notes that a desired qualification of the commissioning authority is that they 'be an independent contractor and not an employee or sub-contractor of the head contractor or any other sub-contractor on [the] project, including the design professionals'.

Performance disclosure

The building commissioning process is where the first observations on the potential performance of the building are disclosed. It is critical that the commissioning task include whole-systems tuning, so that benchmarks of performance potential are set for future operations.

As with any investment, sustainable commercial construction is returns-generated, and evidence of real results drives investment in green buildings. Credible, ongoing information and performance results are essential to demonstrate which green building theories work in practice and what conditions are required to make them economically viable.

Design ratings, often awarded before construction is finished, therefore need to be complemented with disclosure of actual performance. A feedback loop that allows actual performance to confirm success of the design is necessary, both to protect the environment and to ensure sustainability in practice. Claims about the efficacy of green buildings are only theoretical unless the building goes on to actually deliver the promised outcomes.

Monitoring, verification and public reporting is the key to accountability. Some Australian buildings have advanced and transparent building performance monitoring systems, which are made available in real time to the public, enabling any interested party to monitor building performance (see snapshot case study on 40 Albert Road). Public reporting and disclosure of performance allows green building operators to make public the lessons of operating green buildings, which in turn provides badly needed information based on experience, and creates knowledge that assists in advancing the sustainable property industry.

The building management committee

To best capture the opportunities for high performance offered by thorough commissioning and documentation of a building's performance potential, a building management committee (BMC) should be established by the owner. This committee should also include representatives of any pre-committed tenants before handover.

A prime role of the BMC is to ensure that the building achieves its intended performance rating, and to manage ongoing energy and water consumption to within or better than the targets required for the rating.

It is important that the BMC familiarise itself with building documentation and obtain all commissioning reports and O&M documents (see the 'As-built' documentation section of this article for more information). The BMC should be absolutely clear regarding the defects and operational shortcomings identified during commissioning, and obtain clear commitments regarding rectification.

Planning for improved performance

Commissioning applies a process of review, verification, and documentation to ensure that the 'as-built' facility will achieve all design requirements under the design operational conditions.

Because the construction process delivers the finished product in layers over time, and often in a discontinuous manner, it is critical to plan commissioning from the beginning of the design phase, noting when various building components and pieces of equipment will be required and installed. This will ensure that individual components can be tested and 'debugged' well before whole-system testing is to take place. System integrity can then be tested without spurious input from faulty equipment having to be traced and rectified (Della Barba, 2006).

No piece of equipment sits independently of the building or of other systems to be installed. It is often constructive to establish a set of clear guidelines at the outset of a project in relation to all associated works and how they interface with other contracted works to ensure a consistent approach across all specifications. Examples of these guidelines might be:

• 'All signalling cabling is terminated onto a switchboard or equipment supplied by the equipment supplier.'
• 'All sealing of penetrations is to be completed by the installer of the service through the penetration.'

Exclusive of design and project handover requirements, there are five key elements to be considered in testing individual component completion during the construction phase, with each element being the precursor to the next. These elements are:

1. Installation - is all equipment supplied and installed correctly?
2. Start-up - does it start and run as required by the specification and the equipment manual?
3. Control - are controls working as specified, and as required for whole-of-system connection?
4. Balance - is the equipment integrating properly with other components and responding to control inputs as required?
5. Performance verification - is the equipment performing as designed within whole-system operations?

The US General Services Administration (GSA) (1998), in association with US Department of Energy (DoE), lists the fundamental elements of a good building commissioning plan. According to these elements, a good commissioning plan should:

• create a procedure that will verify and provide documentation that the performance of the building and its individual systems meet the owner's requirements. In particular the building must:
  • be tuned to meet actual occupancy needs
  • meet comfort requirements during peak and partial loads
  • be optimised for energy efficiency within the designed operation of the building
  • provide indoor air quality in accordance with specified ASHRAE standards
  • have complete O&M documentation available
  • have operators appropriately trained and ready to manage all building systems.

• enhance communication, by documenting all pertinent data and decisions throughout the project and clearly identifying:
  • the owner's needs and criteria
  • design intent documents and forms
  • construction decisions impacting on design
  • procedures for verification of system performance testing
  • all appropriate permits and fees
  • construction inspection reports
  • operational information
  • maintenance criteria and procedures
  • completed pre-functional performance tests
  • completed functional performance tests
  • test and balance reports
  • progress and status reports
  • scheduling conflicts and resolutions.

• confirm and report that building system performance:
  • meets design intent during peak and partial loads
  • meets design intent during all seasons
  • meets criteria for integrated system operation.

If the project is to seek Green Star certification, it is important in planning for commissioning to note that up to four points can be gained under Green Star - 'office as built' by ensuring that building commissioning includes :

• contractual requirements that comprehensive pre-commissioning, commissioning and quality monitoring be performed by appropriate contractors and trades, in accordance with ASHRAE guideline 1, or CIBSE Commissioning Codes (one point)
• confirmation that pre-commissioning, commissioning and quality monitoring has actually been achieved, and that building data and information (including design intent, 'as-installed' details, commissioning reports, and training of building management staff) have been assembled and transferred to the building owner/manager (one point, but only if first point is satisfied)
• evidence of a clear commitment that the building will be tuned for optimal performance over the first 12 months of operation, with at least quarterly reviews and re-commissioning at the 12 month point (one point)
• evidence that an independent commissioning agent was appointed during commissioning to monitor and verify the commissioning of HVAC and building control systems, and to advise the client and design team on the commissioning process (one point).

Planning is required for an effective commissioning outcome. As various parts of the building system are installed at different times, there needs to be a plan in place to specify when certain tests will be performed. It is also important to remember that some tests are dependent on other parts of the system already being in place, and that the performance of certain systems may change with the installation of other systems. These issues need to be considered in the planning process and careful consideration of legal requirements also needs to be undertaken. Once this has been done, then a smooth commissioning process will result, and the best operational outcomes for the building will be assured.

Implementing and operating for improved performance

• Review submittals for performance parameters
• Develop and utilise construction check-lists
• Oversee and document functional performance testing
• Test data records
• Test issues and follow-up
• Hold regular commissioning team meetings and report progress
• Conduct owner training
• Handover commissioning record
• Perform deferred and seasonal testing
• Post-occupancy evaluation and performance review
• Final satisfaction review with customer agency
• Recommission facility every three to five years
• Complete final commissioning report
• 'As-built' documentation
• Building operations and maintenance manual
• Knowledge management and development
• Operations - putting people in the loop

The commissioning process is essentially a series of connected activities that results in the satisfactory completion of a building that is tuned and ready to operate at peak performance in accordance with its design intent, and that complies with all codes and regulations required for handover. The following section describes a set of commissioning activities drawn largely from those set down by the US General Services Authority (GSA, 2007), modified as necessary to suit Australian conditions.

Review submittals for performance parameters

On-site substitution of building materials and/or other consumables can have a significant impact on the sustainability performance of the operating building. The design will have specified materials to meet sustainability intent and targets, and construction contracts will require submittal of all material, process and consumable substitutions for approval. As submittals are received from contractors, copies of submittals critical to the commissioning process should be forwarded to the commissioning agent. At a minimum, these should include:

• coordination drawings
• marked up 'as-built' drawings
• product data and key operations data for substitution submittals
• system operation and maintenance manuals
• operator training programs.

While submittal approval rests with the owner/client and the project design professions, it is essential that the commissioning agent have sufficient data and knowledge on the design and all changes, to enable full and accurate testing on the systems. The commissioning agent should also be a party to the submittal approvals process, in so far as the changes may impact on the commissioning of integrated systems.

Develop and utilise construction check-lists

Construction checklists are tools for transferring design information contained in the contract documents (drawings and specifications) to the contractors and sub-contractors on site. For more information on what to include in construction check-lists, see the Construction check-lists section of this article.

Oversee and document functional performance testing

Functional performance testing takes over where the construction check-lists end. The intent of functionally testing systems, or the building as a whole, is to evaluate the ability of the components in a system to work together to achieve the client's project requirements. For functional testing to provide valid results, it must first be verified that the individual components and systems are operating properly (see the Develop and utilise construction check-lists section of this article). This includes component start-up and testing, adjusting and balancing.

The project manager must coordinate the commissioning agent's start-up and testing activities with fire safety requirements and occupancy permits, to include testing for compliance with life safety and fire code requirements. This is particularly important if phased occupancy is planned, and may be a requirement of insurance cover for both the project and partially occupied spaces prior to the commissioning of other systems.

Test data records

Test data records capture outcomes of functional performance testing, including test data, observations and measurements. Data may be recorded using photographs, forms or other means appropriate for the specific test. Test data records should include, but not be limited to, the following information:

• test reference (number, specific identifier, etc.)
• date and time of test
• whether it is a first test or a re-test following correction of an issue
• identification of the systems, equipment and/or assemblies under test, including location and construction document designation
• conditions under which the test was conducted (i.e. ambient conditions, capacity/occupancy, loads, etc.). Tests should be performed under steady-state and stable conditions
• description of test procedures
• expected performance from design documentation
• observed performance, including an indication of whether or not this performance is within tolerance
• issues generated as a result of the test
• dated signatures of those performing and witnessing the test.

Records of the results of various tests need to be kept throughout the commissioning process, as they can be very important for facility managers. Records can be retained in a variety of media, including photographs, and also cover a variety of aspects of the building.

Test issues and follow-up

While functional performance testing is at the heart of the commissioning process, it is also the most difficult and time-critical component of the process. The commissioning agent will invariably find a number of items that do not appear to work as intended, and a certain amount of system re-testing will have to be performed. This will occur at a time when handover is looming, tenants are ready to move in, and contractors, anxious to move to their next job, may understandably have lost interest.

Pressure to accept 'operating, but not optimal' system performance will be very high.

To assure success, project managers must allow sufficient time in their project schedule and sufficient money in the project budget for re-testing and optimisation of systems.

All equipment or systems malfunctions should be documented and listed in the commissioning issues log for team resolution. The issues log must be very clear about the test, system(s) involved, and tracking of the problem as it is corrected. Details of who is responsible for rectification work and costs should be very clearly stated.

Hold regular commissioning team meetings and report progress

Consistent, regular commissioning team meetings are essential to maintaining the progress of the project and the momentum of the commissioning process. Team members at meetings should be authorised to make commitments and decisions for their respective parties, and should be fully conversant with the design intent for the building systems.

In addition to regular meetings, the commissioning agent should prepare monthly commissioning progress reports for distribution to all team members throughout the whole construction phase. At a minimum, these reports should include:

• a progress and status report, and a forward plan
• identification of systems or assemblies that do not perform in accordance with the developer's project requirements
• progress on matters listed in the issues log (priorities, cost and measures for correction)
• functional test results and performance data
• deferred and seasonal tests (and reason for deferring)
• progress towards sustainability achievements for the facility (e.g. Green Star points accrued and those still to be certified)
• suggestions for enhancements that will improve the commissioning process and/or the delivered facility.

Regular commissioning team meetings should be conducted where progress is reported and issues are addressed. Reports and minutes of all meetings should be kept for future reference and for effective management of the commissioning process.

Conduct owner training

An important step in the commissioning process is ensuring that operating personnel are properly trained in the required care, adjustment, maintenance and operation of the new facility, equipment and systems. It is critical that operations and maintenance personnel have the knowledge and skills required to operate the facility to meet the owner's project requirements.

Because of the commissioning agent's in-depth knowledge of the design intent and building systems, it is important to have the commissioning agent intimately involved in operator training. This process should begin in the design stage by ensuring that appropriate levels of training are planned and included in specifications.

The majority of training should occur during the construction phase, prior to substantial completion. Some systems and assemblies may require ongoing training post-construction and during occupancy.

It is highly recommended that all training initiatives and resources be recorded, for future reference of the material and training of new employees.

Handover commissioning record

It is critical to understand that commissioning documentation is developed throughout the project and handed over before substantial completion. The following matrix outlines the necessary documentation of the commissioning process by project phase, which is required to complete the commissioning record.

Document	Phase	Developed/provided by
Commissioning plan	Planning	Project manager and commissioning agent
Commissioning plan appendices	Planning	Project manager and commissioning agent
A.  Owner's project requirements	Planning	Project manager
B.  Basis of design	Design	Design team
C.  Commissioning specifications	Design	Design team
D.  Design review	Design	Commissioning agent
E.  Submittal review	Design	Commissioning agent
F.  Test procedures	Design	Commissioning agent
G.  Issues log	Construction	Commissioning agent
H.  Construction check-lists	Construction	Commissioning agent/construction contractor
I. Commissioning agent site visit & commissioning team meeting minutes	Construction	Commissioning agent
J.  O&M review	Construction	Commissioning agent
K.  Training documentation	Construction	Commissioning agent/construction contractor
L.  Warranty review	Construction	Commissioning agent
M.  Test data reports	Construction	Commissioning agent/construction contractor
Summary report	Construction	Commissioning agent
Re-commissioning management manual	Construction	Commissioning agent/owner

A re-commissioning management manual, similar to the commissioning plan, is also recommended to provide guidance and to establish time lines for re-commissioning of building systems and components.

Perform deferred and seasonal testing

Due to weather conditions and seasonal variations, not all systems can be tested at or near full load during the construction phase. Therefore, commissioning plans need to include seasonal testing to allow for certain equipment to be tested under all design conditions.

In addition to seasonal testing, several systems may have been deferred during the initial testing for a number of reasons, including prerequisite activities not being complete, phased occupancy issues, and improper testing conditions.

Contracts should list required seasonal testing, and the issues log should show all deferred testing requirements.

Post-occupancy evaluation and performance review

During the first year of the building's operation, it is important to ensure that the performance of the facility is maintained, particularly before the warranty period expires and/or the performance rating is carried out.

Proper maintenance programs, training, and familiarisation with the systems by the new operating staff are important to support post-construction commissioning. For example, a standard method of recording and responding to complaints must be in place and used consistently. As equipment and controls are replaced throughout the maintenance program, calibration and performance must be checked, the appropriate documents should revised, and any changes or new equipment data sheets should be included in the operations and maintenance manual.

Ongoing training includes refresher training of existing personnel, training of new personnel and training of all personnel on newly installed equipment or revised operating procedures.

Final satisfaction review with customer agency

As one of the aims of commissioning is to increase occupant and user satisfaction, it is important that the facility manager and/or the BMC lead a final satisfaction review with the owner and tenants. This review should occur at one year after occupancy. Attendees should include the commissioning agent and other selected customer agency representatives. The purpose of this review is to obtain honest, objective and constructive feedback on what worked well throughout the commissioning process, and what the commissioning team could have done better. The group should focus on identifying root causes and proposing corrective action for future projects.

Specific discussion topics might include:

• the owner's project requirements
• systems selected for commissioning
• coordination issues
• commissioning budget and costs
• the commissioning schedule relative to the project schedule
• occupant comments and/or complaints
• documentation issues
• lessons learned.

The facility manager should take the lead in documenting this session in a formal 'lessons learned' report. This information will be an important input to operational management and to future projects.

Gauging occupant satisfaction is more accurately carried out through a commissioned post-occupancy evaluation (POE). POEs are structured and rigorous surveys that determine occupant satisfaction levels and assess how well occupants have adjusted to a new sustainable environment, including how they are interacting with the building systems, and/or forgiving what they may perceive initially as system shortcomings (for example, natural ventilation instead of closed system air-conditioning)(see the Operations -- putting people in the loop section of this article for further discussion of this issue).

The one year of operation point it is also the time for an operational rating audit (NABERS or ABGR if an energy/greenhouse only rating is required).

Recommission facility every three to five years

At this stage of operation, a considerable investment has been put into ensuring that the facility operates as intended. As systems tend to shift from their 'as-installed' conditions over time, due to normal wear, user requests and facility modifications, it is strongly recommended that owners consider recommissioning facilities every three to five years. A facility recommissioning program serves to ensure operational efficiency and continued user satisfaction. Maintaining good O&M and occupant complaint records is the key to continued recommissioning efforts.

Recommissioning should generally include:

• establishing that the original basis of design and operation is still appropriate for use, occupancy, tenant agencies and owner goals, and modifying the operations/controls sequencing as appropriate for optimum operations
• reviewing and benchmarking key systems operations/performance against the design intent
• reviewing seasonal test results
• evaluating envelope tightness/pressurisation by infra-red or other methods
• performing energy audits or reviews
• recommending repairs and/or modifications to optimise building performance.

It is important to recognise that at three to five years after occupancy, the original project manager may not still be involved with the building. Therefore, the owner should take the lead on facility recommissioning. Recommissioning should again include an independent commissioning agent. While there are obvious benefits of familiarity, the owner may or may not bring back the project commissioning agent.

Complete final commissioning report

During post-construction, the commissioning agent is responsible for delivering a final commissioning report. At a minimum, the final commissioning report should include:

• a statement that systems have been completed in accordance with the contract documents and that the systems are performing in accordance with the design intent and any additional owner requirements
• identification and discussion of any substitutions, compromises or variations between the final design intent, contract documents and 'as-built' conditions
• a description of components and systems that exceed the design intent and any additional owner's requirements, as well as those that do not meet the requirements and why
• a summary of all issues resolved and unresolved, and recommendations for resolution
• post-construction activities and results, including deferred and seasonal testing results, test data reports, and additional training documentation
• lessons learned for future project commissioning.

The final commissioning report will serve as a critical reference and benchmark document for building operations and future recommissioning of the facility.

In addition, the commissioning agent should ensure that 'as-built' data (all amended/updated CAD drawings, revised specifications, substitutions, variations, etc.) is complete.

'As-built' documentation

To be updated.

Building operations and maintenance manual

Source: DEW, 2007

The ongoing sustainable operation of a building relies on access to key information from the design and construction process. Information requirements and expectations should be clearly set out at the beginning of the design and construction process, and communicated to all those who are expected to contribute.

This information should include a comprehensive record of what was installed, as well as sufficient insight into why the building was constructed and equipment installed the way they were. This helps to ensure that future design, maintenance, tuning and operational modifications and enhancements do not compromise the original design intent, and that base building services continue to be delivered in an efficient and sustainable manner.

The knowledge base compiled during the design, construction and commissioning process, and transferred to the building owner/manager at handover, should support:

• the correct and efficient operation of all unitary plant, individual systems and integrated systems that are either an integration of a number of sub-systems or a collection of interdependent systems
• appropriate and cost-effective maintenance of building systems, to ensure their ongoing safe, efficient and effective operation
• structured and planned ongoing tuning and improvements to the operation of the buildings systems over time, and in response to changes in occupancy
• future modifications of the installed systems to suit changes in occupancy or function of the space, so that they do not compromise the original design intent or degrade the correct and efficient operation of the original systems.

The aim of the operations and maintenance manual is to provide the ongoing stewards of the building with a complete, accurate and up-to-date knowledge resource with which to manage and minimise the environmental impact of the building. The knowledge base development process is illustrated in the figure titled 'Project knowledge base development' above.

Knowledge content and format

The base building design information should include:

• design intent for all systems
• all design assumptions and design criteria that have a bearing on the building's sustainability
• records of any computer modelling of the building and its energy systems, including all inputs and results
• the original brief for the building.

Where possible, design information should include 'as-built' documentation.

Full commissioning records that detail the commissioning process and subsequent commissioning results should also be provided, including the critical settings of significant plant and system components.

The knowledge base should also include any guides that have been developed to address building fit-out, tuning, maintenance and operation.

Ideally, the building knowledge base should be provided as a fully integrated electronic resource, suitable for installation on the building management computer server and accessible to users as an intranet-type function. At a minimum, the project documentation should be provided in the following formats:

• Text documents and all schedules, including commissioning records, should be provided in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel format.
• 'Manufacturers' literature should be provided in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or Adobe PDF formats.
• Drawings and plans should be provided in the latest release AutoCAD format. All CAD documents should be provided in a common and consistent protocol and layering format. This CAD protocol should be agreed upon and clearly and fully documented at the outset of the project, to ensure that the documentation from the project is consistent and in a common format able to be easily loaded onto a Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system.

  Project documentation

  The following guidelines, records and documentation outcomes should be available at the time of building occupancy:
     - Base building design information:
     - to ensure that any future modifications or enhancements to the base building services can be carried out in full knowledge of the original design principles
     - Tenancy fit-out guideline:
     - to facilitate the tenancy fit-out of the building in accordance with the base building's sustainable design principles
     - 'As-built' records:
     - to support the ongoing sustainable operation of the facility
     - Base building operating guideline:
     - for the effective and efficient operation of all installed systems
     - Base building maintenance guideline:
     - required to maintain the installed systems at peak effectiveness and efficiency
     - Commissioning records:
     - the basis for ongoing operation and tuning
     - Base building tuning guide:
     - for the structured and ongoing tuning and improvement of the building and its systems
     - Project documentation in consistent and coordinated electronic formats:
     - for ready access to critical information for maintaining the sustainability of the building

  
  
  

Knowledge management and development

Effective management arrangements for this knowledge base should be put in place at the time of building handover, and should be applied during the warranty period.

For the building knowledge base to be a useful tool in maintaining and improving the building's sustainability, it must be kept complete, accurate and up-to-date. This will require a change management process to be put into place to control and record all changes occurring in the building that are relevant to its sustainability. This process should be fully developed and put into place for the warranty/defects liability period.

Ideally, the knowledge base will be enhanced as more is learned about the building's physics and its systems, and how they interact through the seasons and in response to various occupancy demands. This continuous improvement process should be a continuation of the tuning activities carried out during the warranty period, and should see regular reviews and improvements to operating and design guidelines and maintenance regimes to further reduce the environmental footprint of the building.

Operations - putting people in the loop

'This building would be perfect if there were no occupants.'

This is an often heard lament of frustrated facility managers. Unfortunately, buildings are meant for occupancy, and humans do have a tendency to fiddle with things, including (where they can) building systems. For instance, buildings are now more commonly being constructed with hybrid ventilation systems. Using a blend of passive design features and traditional 'active' systems, these building may even put humans in the control loop on purpose, and to a greater extent than has been the accepted standard in the past. This can require the occupants to make adjustments to the building's features to suit varying climatic conditions and to get the building to perform as intended (e.g. opening or closing windows or vents, or turning on ceiling fans). In principle, this may be positive; however, the occupant's role must be clearly conveyed and they will need reminding of it frequently. It is critical that designers, commissioning agents and facility managers appreciate that the dominant paradigm of most commercial and institutional building occupants is that the building will look after itself without any input from them.

Even in more traditional buildings, the conveyance of design information, particularly with regard to how the building services are to operate most efficiently, needs to be captured and enshrined in the building in some enduring way. This may be via the installation contractors' O&M manuals or the building automation system (BAS). It is noted that experience has shown both these approaches to be fallible over time, with O&M manuals subject to loss and building automation systems subject to change.

As part of the ongoing commissioning process, and to find out just how the occupants feel about the building and its performance, it may be useful to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation (POE). POE techniques provide a means for evaluating occupant responses to changes in an environment and linking these responses to physical measures of that environment. They systematically assess the appropriateness of a facility, providing information about the occupants' reactions to their workspaces, and documenting the physical conditions to which they are responding (Vandenberg, 2006).

Tools

• Construction check-lists
  • Delivery and storage check-lists
  • Installation and start-up check-lists
  • Developing check-lists
• Green Star design rating
• ABGR and NABERS

Construction check-lists

Construction checklists are tools for transferring design information contained in the contract documents (drawings and specifications) to the contractors and sub-contractors on site. In particular, they convey pertinent information to the installers regarding the developer's concerns on installation and long-term operation for sustainability of the facility and its systems. By completing construction check-lists, contractors are assured that all requirements of the project documentation are satisfied.

Delivery and storage check-lists

The purpose of delivery and storage check-lists is to:

• document and track delivery of equipment and materials to site
• verify submittal information (this avoids accepting and installing equipment that does not satisfy design intent or specifications)
• ensure equipment and materials remain free of contamination, moisture etc.

Installation and start-up check-lists

Installation and start-up checklists usually include:

• component-based checks
• systems-based checks.

Developing check-lists

Check-lists should be short and simple, and focus on key elements. They should span the duration from equipment delivery to the job site, until the point that the system or component is started up and operational, including testing, adjusting, balancing and whole-control system tuning.

Generally, check-lists are developed as follows:

1. The commissioning agent identifies components and systems for which check-lists are required.
2. The commissioning agent reviews the developer/owner's project requ