Last month’s column introduced the rare but real possibility that a construction project may be so far behind schedule that not all systems can realistically be expected to be complete and operating when the owner needs to occupy the building. Most owners do not have the luxury of postponing their move-in date in order to wait for systems completion. If a project gets to that point (and we won’t even go into how that might happen), the main objective will be boiled down to whatever it takes to obtain a certificate of occupancy from the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
The AHJ will be focused primarily on life safety issues. Therefore, from a commissioning perspective, the top priority will be to concentrate on completion, start-up, and testing of fire alarm, fire protection, elevators, etc. However, how should the commissioning professional help the owner and project team prioritize the remaining systems? I believe it is necessary to take into consideration the relative difficulty, cost, and/or relative discomfort and disruption to the owner’s future operations of addressing things after move-in.