The Bowdoin College experience with commissioning

By David D'Angelo, Bowdoin College and Clifton W. Greim, P.E., Harriman Associates

A new building usually means headaches for the facilities department. Once occupants are settled in, the phone starts ringing and the complaints start coming. Equipment is noisy. Fans don't work or won't shut off. Rooms are too warm or too cool. The more complex the building, the more problems — and the more time the facilities staff must spend to get them resolved.

But that's not what happened at Maine's Bowdoin College. When the $20.5 million, 100,000- sq.-ft. Druckenmiller Science Hall was completed, there were just a half dozen calls reporting problems -- despite systems that are especially complex because the building combines several science disciplines, each with different needs. The reason for the lack of headaches? The decision to commission the building before move-in.

A before-occupancy trial

Integral to construction program

Major building program in progress
--facilities management department
--computerized project management
--a complex building

Differences wth other tests and inspections

Deciding to commission
--the process
--priorities
--checking system as a whole

Types of problems
--safety issues
--energy wasters
--time wasters

A before-occupancy trial
Commissioning put the building through a "sea trial" before the building was occupied. Every component of the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system was physically checked to make certain that it worked as it was designed to work. When a problem was found, responsibility for correcting it was assigned and components were rechecked to verify that the problem had been corrected.

The methodical, thorough process fine-tuned systems for more efficient energy use and uncovered mistakes and omissions that might have resulted in safety and maintenance problems if they had gone undetected. Because complaints were minimal, the facilities staff could direct their attention to regular maintenance and operations or the next project. And because systems were checked thoroughly before the warranty period ended, contractors and subcontractors were still accessible and responsibility for correcting problems was clear.
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Integral to construction program
The benefits were so apparent that commissioning is now an integral part of a $132 million construction program now in progress at Bowdoin. While not every project will be large or complex enough to warrant commissioning, it is now a standard line item on the budget forms and is always considered. At a cost of about 1 percent to 2.5 percent of the cost of the HVAC system, Bowdoin has found that the benefits outweigh the cost.

And now, Bowdoin has begun to involve a commissioning agent earlier in the process. Instead of waiting until HVAC systems are built, the agent joins the team during the design development phase, after concepts and schematic designs have been approved, but before construction has begun.

This brings another set of eyes to a project at a point when changes can be made economically if needed. The focus is on the synergism of team work to find potential problems and resolve them on paper. The early involvement also makes the commissioning agent more familiar with the project when physical checking must begin, thus expediting the process.

For its first commissioning project, however, Bowdoin opted to start the process in the construction phase.
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Major building program in progress Bowdoin College is a coeducational, liberal arts institution, founded in 1794 in Brunswick, a town of 22,000 on the Maine coast. The college is residential and nonsectarian and its 1,550 students come from across the country and around the world. Over thirty-seven departmental and interdisciplinary majors leading to a bachelor of arts degree are offered.

Over 80 buildings are part of the 110-acre campus. They range from Massachusetts Hall, built in 1802, to Chamberlain Hall, a new student residence, and the newly renovated and technologically upgraded Searles Science Building, both of which were completed in August 1999. Over the past five years, the college has invested $62 million on capital projects, and planning for the next five years shows the potential for an addition $45 million.
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Facilities management department
The facilities management department, headed by William S. Gardiner, has 100 employees, assigned to operations and maintenance (trades); facilities services (housekeeping, grounds, and automotive); finance and property management; and construction management.

Responsibility for managing construction projects and setting up project budgets falls to the planning and construction unit within the department. A construction manager is assigned to each project and provides day-to-day oversight of the design and construction process.
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Computerized project management Computerized management processes are central to project management. At the start of each job, a "folder" is set up in a spreadsheet program. Continually updated throughout the design and construction process, it becomes the key document, first for planning, and later for tracking costs and progress for all phases of the project.

The system has been in place for almost five years and took about two years to refine to its current form. Within categories such as construction cost, fees, and owner's costs, a standardized set of line items is included on the screen when a new job is established. The pre-set line items help expedite the budgeting process, with a fill-in-the-blanks approach where categories can be easily added or deleted.

The initial budget is established by the facilities management department and then submitted to the building committee. Modifications are ongoing as the projects move through programming and concept, schematic design, design development, and construction phases.
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A complex building
When planning began for the Druckenmiller Science Hall, it was apparent that the building would be more complex than many others. The building would bring together biology and chemistry departments, and though the HVAC requirements for each discipline were different, they had to be integrated into one system.

In addition, further complications would arise because the new facility would be created by constructing the new building and renovating two existing buildings, tying all three together. The sheer number and interrelationship of components meant more opportunities for problems in both installation and operation.

And since the competitive bidding process can lead to a system composed of components different from those the designer conceptualized, it was important that the entire system be tested to ascertain that each component would operate in the right sequence with other components.
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Different from other tests and inspections
Commissioning would put the systems through detailed operational tests, verifying that all components were working as designed, functioning at top efficiency, and meeting manufacturer's specifications. Problems would then be documented, along with identifying those responsible for correcting the problems. A follow-up check would verify that the correction had been made.

The standard pre-occupancy inspection would not offer the same level of thoroughness, detail, and focus. It typically brings owner, designer, and contractor together, walking through the building, making a visual check to determine if parts are missing or broken, or whether equipment and controls are where they should be. Often the emphasis in this type of inspection is to meet code requirements in time for move-in day, which is generally very close to the inspection itself.

Testing and balancing procedures, too, would not be as thorough as commissioning, since they measure air and water flow in HVAC systems. The procedures ensure that air and water are being distributed in the right amounts to various spaces, as designated on drawings, but do not check the operation of controls.
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Deciding to commission
Although Bowdoin had not commissioned a building before, the facilities department staff decided that the Druckenmiller project would benefit. Besides the complexity of the systems, the science department wanted Druckenmiller ready to use as soon as possible to minimize disruption to the educational program. An aggressive construction program could add to the problems that might be encountered. As a result, a line item for "commissioning" was added under "owner's costs."

Although some institutions have their own staff do commissioning, Bowdoin decided that an outside agent would better serve their needs. Without a history of cost to use, the construction management department used the 1 percent figure in the initial budget that was approved by the building committee -- a figure that turned out to be on target.
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The process
The commissioning process at Druckenmiller would begin as soon as the mechanical system was completed, but well before move-in. After reviewing proposals from qualified firms, Harriman Associates, a full-service architecture and engineering firm in nearby Auburn, Maine, was selected as the commissioning agent. The firm had provided neither architecture nor engineering services for the building, a factor that Bowdoin believed was essential to ensure an unbiased opnion.

Harriman Associates' task would be to put the HVAC system through a four-season "shakedown." Every part in the system would be physically checked to make certain that it operated as indicated on drawings and in the sequence specified. Since operation for some components would differ depending on the season, commissioning would make certain that Bowdoin would have no surprises in winter for a building that was completed in summer.

The first step for Harriman Associates was to study the design of the system and become familiar with its intent. Next, a schedule was set up to clarify when parts of the system would be commissioned. This required coordination among owner, contractor, subcontractors, and balancing technicians. Some parts of the building had to be ready before others so they were given priority. And before commissioning could begin, subcontractors had to complete their work.
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Priorities
Among systems given priority for commissioning were thermostatically controlled exhaust and supply fans, smoke evacuation systems, chiller, chilled water pumps, greenhouse supply and exhaust systems, fan coil units, air handling units, air terminal boxes, fume hoods, and pressure controls.

Other systems commissioned were reheat coils, steam-to-water converters, finned-tube radiation units, cabinet unit heaters, hot-water pumps, heating coils, humidifiers, and radiant ceiling panels.

Some of the problems found during commissioning and thus corrected, saved the facilities department time, since their staff did not have to deal with fixing a problem in-house or with getting a subcontractor back to do it. Some had the potential to save energy, since equipment was fine-tuned and ascertained to be functioning as it was designed. And some solved potential safety issues before they occurred, since they were related to life-safety codes.
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Checking system as a whole
Despite the fact that contractors and installers had done their jobs well, without a process to look at how the system functioned as a whole, some problems may have gone undetected for a long time and some might never have been found. Some undoubtedly were mistakes, as might be expected in a project as complex as this one. But many came about because of the interrelationships among system components and would have gone undetected without the verification of sequencing that occurs in commissioning.

Documentation is a critical part of the commissioning process. It defines the problem, indicates when it was found, and designates who is accountable for correcting it. Once notified that a problem has been corrected, the commissioning agent then checks again, re-testing the operation of the components. If everything checks out, the agent notes that in the report. If it doesn't, that too, is noted and the re-checking continues until the problem is corrected.
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Types of problems
The time it takes to get a problem corrected can vary greatly. Some are relatively simple and the contractor or subcontractor responsible can correct them easily. Others may require numerous follow-ups that stretch over a period of several months. The following examples illustrate the types of problems that commissioning can find and the process used to correct them.
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Safety issues In educational facilities, life-safety codes require ducts to have sensors that trigger a series of actions should smoke be detected. Alarms are usually activated at the facilities department. Dampers close in return and supply-air ducts to keep smoke from dispersing throughout the building. Air-handling units are turned off and smoke-purge systems are turned on.

Testing procedures will be able to ascertain that the individual components function, but they won't be able to determine that they will function in the right sequences when it really matters -- during a fire.

Commissioning, however, can provide that assurance. To simulate what would happen in a fire, a smoke canister can be activated in the duct. As smoke is emitted, the commissioning agent can verify that alarms, dampers, and air- handling systems are functioning as they should, and if they are not, can start the corrective process to ensure that they will.

Areas in which hazardous materials are stored require special attention. Should a fire break out, a clean-agent suppressant gas is sprayed into the area from a remote mounted tank. The gas works by removing oxygen from the air and in essence smothering the fuel. But because the gas removes oxygen, it is especially important that it be kept from going to other parts of the building. Dampers in the ducts must close fast enough to keep the gas contained.

Traditional inspections or walk-throughs will determine whether the damper will open and close, but without a test of the system, it won't be possible to know whether they will close fast enough in an emergency. Commissioning will provide that verification, giving assurances that the system will function properly.
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Energy wasters Pre-occupancy inspections will indicate whether a piece of equipment is operating but they won't be able to verify that it's operating at top efficiency. And with energy costs high, that's especially important.

And that's where commissioning can help, with its focus on proper operation of the system. A leak in duct work, for example, can cause the fan in the related air-handling unit to work harder and thus waste energy. Other examples include a fan that stays on too long and a damper on an outside-air duct that stays partially open when it should be completely closed.

In a large facility with several air-handling units and numerous dampers, checking the physical operation of each is the only way to determine whether all components are operating in a way that creates top efficiency for the system.
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Time wasters Commissioning can also save time for both facilities staff and users of the building. Staff members can devote time and energy to normal, reactive maintenance, especially advantageous during a building program involving many projects and an aggressive time schedule. If the building is no longer under warranty when a problem is discovered, the institution will have to spend time making repairs or getting them made. And even if the building is still under warranty, it is usually more difficult to have subcontractors come back, especially after they have received final payment, including the retainment fee. Commissioning saves time for building users, too. By eliminating most post-occupancy complaints, users don't have to spend time explaining problems. And that is a side benefit to the facilities staff because positive feelings about the building tend to continue.

Bowdoin has found that the tangible and intangible benefits to commissioning more than outweigh the cost it adds to a project. As a result, the construction management staff will continue to make commissioning an integral part of its construction projects — and the facilities staff can continue to count on fewer headaches.
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Written for Facilities Manager, November/December 1999