The Last Phase of the Project
There is a common phrase I often hear on projects I work on: “90 percent of the effort goes into the last 10 percent of the project.” No matter how much time a contractor may have at the beginning of a project, it disappears in the final months when workers are scurrying to complete their tasks.
One of the construction tasks that falls to the end of the schedule is the performance testing of the mechanical and electrical equipment in the building. The HVAC systems, light fixtures, communication systems and life safety equipment must be tested before the owner can take occupancy of the building.
The startup of equipment and systems within a building is a milestone for the project team. Once all the equipment is energized and work is done to ensure the equipment can be operated correctly, performance testing is completed and the warranty officially kicks in.
The contractor has a strong desire to have an owner accept equipment as soon as a piece of equipment has been energized and can be operated. In most cases, accepting this equipment removes the responsibility the contractor has and obligates the owner to take possession of the equipment. However, these activities occur during that portion of the timeline when everyone working on the project is preoccupied with getting the project finished. This quest for project completion can lead to errors in the installation of equipment and the proper programming of the system that will be used to operate the equipment. One way an owner can ensure the proper installation, startup and programming of the equipment is through thirdparty commissioning.
Third-Party Commissioning
Third-party commissioning of the building systems is a quality assurance/quality control process that can be employed on any construction project, not just LEED certification projects. The commissioning process begins with a commissioning authority (CxA) performing a review of the design documents to make sure the design is appropriate for the needs of the building and that the design reflects the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR). The CxA will then review the contractor’s procurement activities to ensure everything has been purchased and delivered to the project site. When the contractor or sub-contractors start the equipment, the CxA and his or her team witness the performance of the equipment to ensure the installation is complete and the individual pieces of equipment can be operated as a system.
There are owners that feel the commissioning of equipment and systems is unnecessary because they have paid a contractor to perform work in accordance to the contract documents. These owners see no return on investment for a third-party inspection of the work performed under an existing contract. It is true that owners pay the design team to prepare a set of drawings and specifications that incorporate the OPR. They hire a contractor to correctly install the equipment according to the contract documents. However, mistakes are possible. A commissioning process can go a long way in the prevention of problems once the construction is complete and the owner has moved into the building.
For example, I recently participated in the final systems commissioning for an overseas project that I have been involved with since conceptual design. The arrival on-site filled the commissioning team with a feeling of excitement. We saw the physical buildings standing on-site, looking almost identical to the renderings we had seen several years ago. The construction team had performed, and the building looked great. Prior to the visit, the contractor had furnished documentation that the equipment had been installed correctly and was ready for the commissioning team to witness the startup and conduct the performance testing.
This building has a sophisticated control system-the operation of almost every piece of equipment can be monitored from a central command location through the Building Management System
(BMS). More importantly, the BMS allows the operator of the building to monitor any given piece of equipment and the system as a whole. The team began the system startup, only to find problem after problem. The equipment had mostly been installed correctly, but none of the equipment was properly communicating through the BMS.
One of the biggest issues encountered was a disconnect between the various specialty contractors working on-site. The mechanical equipment was installed correctly, but when the signal was given to cool a room, the thermostats installed by a different contractor were not programmed to react as intended. The fire alarm had been installed and tested, but the signal to override the mechanical equipment, close air dampers and shut off fan motors was not recognized by the control system. The lighting controls were installed but had been overridden so that the lights in the building stayed on all of the time.
These “failures” were not a result of the contractor team failing to do their job. The problems were a result of a large number of people trying to complete their work in a short amount of time, combined with a lack of integration between separate contractors. All of the issues were corrected, and the building is now functioning as it was intended. However, without a third-party commissioning authority, the problems that were identified in the final stages of commissioning probably would not have been identified until long after the owner had moved into the building and the conditions created during simulation were encountered in real life.
Delivering sustainable projects can be very fulfilling, especially because so much work goes into a project from start to finish. Being involved in a project from concept to the final turnover to an owner, seeing the first reactions of occupants when they step into a building and knowing all that went into making the project a success is always thrilling.
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Thomas Taylor, a 30-year veteran of the construction industry and noted expert on sustainability, is a principal and co-founder of St. Louis-based Vertegy. His book, “Guide to LEED 2009: Estimating and Preconstruction Strategies,” provides step-by-step information about the LEED 2009 for New Construction process. To learn more about Vertegy or Taylor, visit
www.vertegyconsultants.com.