Program for Commissioning of Systems and Equipment

The following is an outline of the activities of the start up and building systems commissioning team. The commissioning plan is developed on an individual project basis. Brandt uses the terms start up and commissioning interchangeably unless we are doing a formal building systems commissioning process. Brandt uses the Building Systems Commissioning program of the National Environmental Balancing Bureau and is fully qualified under the NEBB program.

STEP ONE: PRE-COMMISSIONING REVIEW

• Review the drawings for a project with the start up and commissioning process in mind.
• When submittal data is available, review the data with the start up and commissioning process in mind.

STEP TWO: JOBSITE OBSERVATIONS

• Make periodic jobsite visits during construction to look for problems related to commissioning and installation practice. Report findings to the project manager.

STEP THREE: PREPARE THE COMMISSIONING PLAN

• Meet with the Project Manager to establish a schedule of events related to commissioning.
• Establish lines of communication.
• Using NEBB forms and the contract documents, select the form for each item to be commissioned and set the form up for field technician to use.
• Specific instructions for equipment items will be added to the standard forms to guide the technicians in the field.
• Write any needed guidelines, suggestions, points to consider or other thoughts to assist the field process.
• Prepare the commissioning book for field use.

STEP FOUR: FIELD INSTALLATION VERIFICATION (FIV)

• When the project or part of the project to be commissioned is completely installed, cleaned and all systems are full, charged and connected to all related systems such as electrical, control, etc., field installation verification takes place.
• This phase is a static inspection to be sure the project is ready for start up.
• FIV forms are completed and any problems are corrected with the help of the project manager.

STEP FIVE: OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE TEST (OPT)

• The systems and equipment on the project or part of the project to be commissioned are started and placed in operation.
• Factory start up assistance is used where required.
• Important parameters such as motor amperage and various pressures are read and recorded on the OPT forms.
• Any problems are corrected with the help of the project manager.

STEP SIX: FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE TEST (FPT)

• When the project or part of the project to be commissioned has been started and placed in operation, Functional Performance Test are often run.
• These tests verify component equipment performance, however they are never intended to prove system capacity.
• On a startup that is not a full commissioning, OPT and FPT are often done at the same time.

STEP SEVEN: REPORT

• The commissioning data is kept in a binder. If requested or required, the owner or building operator is provided with the data.
• The extent of the details of the report, and to whom it is sent is decided based on the requirements of the subcontract.

STEP EIGHT: OWNER TRAINING

• Owner training shall be conducted near the end of the commissioning process. It is often done in conjunction with OPT or FPT operations.
• Video recordings are often made and turned over to the owner after training is complete.

For more information, contact your Brandt representative at your local office below or e-mail us at Commissioninginfo@brandteng.com.

Dallas 972-241-9411
Fort Worth 817-626-0033
San Antonio 210-599-6120
Waco 254-420-4301
Austin 512-491-9100