I just completed reports for two retrocommissioning studies for different building owners. An interesting - and potentially puzzling - similarity between them was that they were both for relatively new buildings. One building had been completed just one year before the owner decided retrocommissioning would be a good idea. The other was a 4-yr-old building. Both were larger than 100,000 sq ft.

Commissioning: Deferred or Phased Testing

January 1, 2007

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

Deferred testing is performing FPT after substantial completion. Whereas systems performance testing should occur prior to the owner accepting the systems from the contractors, there are some instances where testing at the end of construction is either impractical or not meaningful.

Commissioning: Fair and Balanced

December 1, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

In my October and November columns, I explored the complexities associated with motivating contractors to install, start up, and test new building systems as required to have the commissioning testing and demonstration be successful the first time. If there is an incentive for deficiency-free test results, the commissioning professional needs to be wary of the contractors wanting to stop and “fix” deficiencies during the testing process.

Commissioning: Rewards Revisited

November 1, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT THE DEVIL IS RIGHT WHERE YOU'D EXPECT HIM.

Commissioning: The Perfect Test

October 1, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

In September's column, we focused on the need to motivate project teams to correct systems performance deficiencies in a timely fashion follow-ing unsuccessful FPTs. This month, I'd like to explore the question of why there are unsuccessful FPTs in the first place.

Commissioning: Commissioning Completion

September 5, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

Measuring deficiency days would help ensure that proficiency pays.

Commissioning: Too Much Commissioning?

August 1, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

One of the variables we find from project-to-project is the amount of time the commissioning professional is expected to be on site during construction.

commissioning: SMALL (does not equal) Unimportant

July 1, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

LEFT UNCHECKED, BIG PROBLEMS CAN COME IN SMALL PACKAGES.

Commissioning: COMMISSIONING EXISTING Systems Renovations

June 1, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

My May, 2006 column introduced the concept of decommissioning as a process for thoughtfully and systematically preparing for partial renovation of an existing building - something that happens more frequently than the construction of new buildings.

commissioning: DECOMMISSIONING

May 1, 2006

By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E.

No Comments

As with last month, I'd like to introduce a new commissioning term, which isn't exactly mainstream in the commercial and institutional building industry. This time, the word of the month is decommissioning. Although a rigorous process of decommissioning has been standard operating procedure for a number of years at the Pentagon Renovation Program, I have otherwise only heard of it with respect to nuclear power plants, naval vessels, and some industrial installations.

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