Introducing IAQ Monitoring, Measuring, and Reporting Using Performance Contracting Project Delivery

Project Delivery Method: Performance contracting (PC) project delivery

Owner Team: Museum administration, facility manager, and asset management committee

Project Delivery Team: Owner representative (consultant), and PC firm’s project manager and physician

HVAC Project Team: Building automation system (BAS) in-house technician; operation and maintenance (O&M) in-house technicians; third-party commissioning consultant (CxC); and a third-party testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) technician

Application: 250,000-square-foot museum in the Midwest

Project Type: An HVAC infrastructure retrofit following a facility audit and capital project master plan with a focus on environmental management of the materials, e.g., books, papers, and photographs as well as occupant health and IAQ lessons learned from the pandemic.

References: The codes and standards found at the back of each ASHRAE Handbook for 2017 ASHRAE Handbook, Fundamentals; 2019 ASHRAE Handbook, HVAC Applications; 2020 ASHRAE Handbook, HVAC Systems, and Equipment; and Chapter 24, Museums, Galleries, Archives, and Libraries of the 2019 Handbook

Other References: ASHRAE Technical Committee TC 9.8, Building HVAC Application; ASHRAE TC 2.10, Resilience & Security, Construction, and Operation of Sustainable Buildings; ASHRAE Humidity Control Design Guide for Commercial and Institutional Buildings; ASHRAE Indoor-Air Quality Guide: Best Practice for Design, Construction, & Commissioning; ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy; and ASHRAE Standard 62.1, IAQ

DESIGN INTENT DOCUMENT (DID)

The museum administration and its asset management in-house committee have signed a contract with a physician-led firm, offering a PC approach to improve the building environment to assist in furnishing, installing, commissioning, monitoring, measuring, and reporting on the museum’s indoor environment
The program’s goal is to enhance the quality of the space to further protect the materials and occupants within the facility based on the IAQ
Through the PC firm, working closely with the owner’s team and the HVAC team, the PC team will draft a policy and procedure (P&P) manual with lessons learned from existing operating conditions and measurement trending records, leveraged by the PC’s own medical input on occupant health to create a continuous quality control framework and established set of standards to measure the impact of indoor building conditions on museum materials and human health to product the DID
The PC team will follow the aforementioned references as well as existing condition data logging and include the following:

Museum key considerations, i.e., international standards, preservation and risk management, sustainability for management of the materials and occupant health, and IAQ

Owner’s environmental health and safety (EH&S) program goals and additional goals

Process/system constraints
Enhance P&P as it pertains to the facility’s BAS
Specialized systems shall include the rare book area, etc.

Existing conditions: central air system(s) supply air and/or return air cfm, general and toilet exhaust, heating systems, and air conditioning systems
Air filters: Pre-filter, final filter, after-filter, HEPA filter, fan-powered HEPA filter, and charcoal filters based on recommended humidifiers and MERV rating per HVAC system application.
Health problem mitigation: The PC’s considerations to mitigate occupant health problems include fatigue, stress, allergies, and eye irritation based on PC project goals, budget goals, and operating costs as well as the construction timeline

DESIGN CRITERIA DOCUMENT

The HVAC design criteria shall be in sync with the project delivery method and the owner’s project requirements
The design criteria shall be based on an analytical analysis of existing facility, occupant, and HVAC conditions; associated operation; and proactive maintenance management
Furnish and install a comprehensive IAQ monitoring system with remote measuring, data analysis, and reporting process
The PC team will refer to ASHRAE guidelines for humidity control design and ASHRAE Indoor-Air Quality Guide: Best Practice for Design, Construction, and Commissioning
Addition of space humidification based on ASHRAE Humidity Control Design Guide
Owner’s facility environmental management audit
PC’s facility occupant health audit
From the aforementioned criteria, implementation update of all P&P manuals
Add humidifier systems and individual space humidifiers as required
Retro-commissioned central air systems along with addition of addition of humidifiers and enhanced MERV-rated filters, which will replace the existing filters. Rebalance the existing central air-handling systems when completed
The PC team to furnish, install, monitor, measure, and report monthly of the entire IAQ system
Add a new reverse-osmosis (RO) water system, serving new building humidifiers furnished and installed per the PC scope of work
The in-house BAS technician will update existing safeties and alarms associated with occupant health along with accommodating the new monitoring and reporting system working with the PC team, third-party CxC, and third-party TAB technician
The facility manager shall have the BAS and O&M technicians trained to accommodate P&P changes as they affect the building management and HVAC systems
The PC team shall produce complete record documents, warranties, training, and a one-year renewable reporting contract