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ASHRAE www.ashrae.org. Used with permission from ASHRAE Journal, February 2014 at www.atkinsglobal.com. This article may not be
copied nor distributed in either paper or digital form without ASHRAEs permission. For more information about ASHRAE, visit www.ashrae.org.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Dave McFarlane is principal project director, and Thomas Farmer, P.E., is senior group manager at Atkins in Fort Myers, Fla.
common architectural oversights TABLE 1 Sample checklist of the primary architectural elements the CxA should review during DPC.
the CxA should look for include:
Roof R values, penetrations, reflectance, exterior wall insulation, perimeter slab insulation, and vapor
Infiltration rates that exceed ac- 1 barrier designs must match the energy/mechanical model and be appropriate for the building application and
cepted industry standards; geographic location.
Improperly specified vapor/air 2
Window and door U values and shading coefficients must match the energy/mechanical model and be
appropriate for the building application and geographic location.
barriers;
Spaces that require special equipment (such as computer rooms, elevator equipment rooms, kitchens, labs,
Poorly defined thermal breaks at 3
etc.) must be properly identified.
windows, doors, walls, and rooflines; Thermal breaks at windows and door frames, roofs, and walls must be clearly defined and appropriate for the
4
and building application and geographic location.
Improperly located equipment 5
Vapor/air barriers that separate exterior conditions from conditioned interiors must be clearly defined and
(which can transmit noise or vibra- appropriate for the building application and geographic location.
tions to occupied spaces). The buildings life-safety plan must clearly define egress, wall types, and any special system requirements
6
(such as smoke exhausts, controls, or pressurization). Review all applicable drawings to cross-check
Table 1 is a sample checklist of the mechanical and electrical systems that relate to the overall life-safety plan and the buildings air-distribution
primary architectural elements the requirements across rated partitions.
dling unit (AHU) capacity, does not match the sum of the Airflow volumes for supply and return air diffusers/grilles must match both
4
individual components, or is outside industry-accept- terminal devices and the central air equipment.
able limits; 5
Diffuser sizing and capacity must produce adequate throw within allowable
noise criteria.
Equipment velocities, pressure drops, or installation
System flows must match equipment and system design and rated capacities
techniques that do not meet industry standards; 6
while meeting general industry-accepted practices for size and application.
Improperly calculated energy balances (in which the Building pressurization airflows must account for exhaust and allowable leak-
7
components supplying the boilers, chillers and air han- age at designed wind velocities.
dlers do not correctly match the specified pumps, cooling Pipe and duct velocities must be consistent with the OPR, the BOD, and ap-
8
coils, reheat coils, and filters); and plicable industry standards.
Improperly specified start-up, flushing, and com- 9
Equipment, coil, terminal inlet/outlet flow velocities, and pressure drops must
be within acceptable industry ranges.
missioning procedures.
10
The inlet and outlet configurations of fans, pumps, coils, filters, and other
Table 2 is a sample checklist of the primary mechanical equipment must not cause reductions in airflow volume.
component specifications the CxA should review. 11 Ducts and piping must be consistent with industry best practices.
TABLE 3 Sample checklist of the primary control-sequence issues the CxA should TABLE 4 Sample checklist of the plumbing concerns the CxA should review during DPC.
check during DPC.
Plumbing pipes and equipment sizes must match the requirements neces-
Control schematics and sequences must be clearly written and specific to 1 sitated by the specified water fixture units (WFUs) and drainage fixture units
the system, equipment, application, and operations. Control sequences should (DFUs).
1
be written in step-by-step form, using simple, clear, and concise language.
Sequences must cover all foreseeable scenarios, including life-safety events. 2
Water pressure (and any pressure boosters) must be sufficient for the system
configuration, building height, and fixture types.
Sequences must specify proper control procedures for equipment start-up
2 and shut-down, as well as how to handle equipment failure during power loss 3
Verify the need for (and specification of) expansion tanks and/or recirculating
or malfunction. pumps.
5
Verify that plumbing systems will be able to handle high-occupancy loads
4 Temperature and pressure reset sequences must be described in detail. during special events.
Inadequately defined building pressurization se- TABLE 5 Sample checklist of electrical-system factors the CxA should review
during DPC.
quences; and
Verify electrical/mechanical design coordination, including equipment location,
Failure to specify temperature and pressure reset se- 1
voltage, and load and control specifications.
quences. Verify all standby/emergency power requirements, including the redundancy
Table 3 is a sample checklist of the primary control 2 approach. Ensure that proper need and control strategies are in place for
backing up different levels of standby power.
sequence issues the CxA should check during DPC.
3
Ensure that proper lighting-control designs and associated control strategies
are in place.
Plumbing Design Review Verify correct fire-alarm sequences and interlocks are defined for specific life-
4
Plumbing is usually not as prone to problems as safety operations, such as standard alarming, shut-downs, smoke exhaust, etc.
other mechanical areas (perhaps due to the many code 5
Ensure that motor controls, starters, and variable frequency drives (VFDs) are
requirements plumbing systems must satisfy). But coordinated with the appropriate mechanical systems.
plumbing-related issues can prove problematic and Verify that the specifications call for full-power electrical-system quality
testing, including:
should be validated by the CxA, including: Current load balance on each leg.
6
Improperly sized fixture inlets; Current to ground measurements.
Voltage balance on each leg.
Inadequate water pressure from supply source; Current and voltage total harmonic distortion (THD).
Lack of expansion tanks on closed systems; and Ensure that project documents call for load tests of uninterruptible power
7
Failure to consider peak loads during special events. system (UPS) equipment and battery discharge rates.
Table 4 is a sample checklist of the plumbing concerns 8
Verify that the documents call for an 8- to 12-hour standby/emergency
generator performance test using an appropriate load bank.
the CxA should review during DPC.
9
Ensure that connected-lighting load-density specifications do not exceed code
or LEED limits.
Electrical System Design Review Verify that the documents specify permanent service-usage labels for all
Commissioning-related electrical issues can have 10 electrical equipment and that all panel-board schedules are to be filled out at
project completion.
a major impact on whether a building can satisfy
owner expectations. Weve seen many problems that Ensure that the specifications call for all power connections over 5 horsepower
11 be photographed with a thermal-imaging camera while operating under full
seem to surface repeatedly, including: load to identify hot spots and improper connections.
Failure to coordinate electrical panels with mechani-
cal and/or architectural components; Project Design Manual
Improperly sized emergency generators; During DPC, the CxA should collaborate with the
Incorrectly performed generator testing procedures; owner and the design team to decide which documents
Improperly performed electrical power quality test- will be included in the project design manual (PDM) (or
ing and connector adequacy testing; and systems manual within the LEED community). While
Different electrical specifications for mechanical every project will have its own unique design manual,
equipment and electrical service voltages. certain documents should be included in every PDM.
Table 5 is a sample checklist of electrical system factors In addition to the final OPR, BOD, and commissioning
the CxA should review during DPC. plan, the PDM should include:
56 A S H R A E J O U R N A L ashrae.org FEBRUARY 2014
TECHNICAL FEATURE
Final, approved submittals and shop drawings; outlines the design review, but calls for the actual review
Final contract documents; to be performed by the design team, not the CxA.
Record drawings (as-built); Completing a detailed, technical review of the design
Equipment manufacturers operation and mainte- documents during the design phase will help the build-
nance manuals; ing project move forwardwith both the owner and the
Final commissioning report; design team being confident that potential design prob-
Operator training materials; lems have been identified and corrected before actual
Recommended standard operating procedures design work begins. Its one more step toward the overall
(SOPs); and project objective: a fully satisfied building owner.
Pre-functional and functional
test reports.