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The article focuses on design review readiness and full-service commissioning involves at least one design review prior to bidding and construction. Topics discussed include industry expectations at the schematic design (SD), design development (DD), and construction documents (CD) phases, piping or ductwork plans, lighting layouts, electrical one-line diagrams and professional documenting incompleteness or inappropriate designs.

The article discusses how the commissioning professional should understand each contractor's responsibilities to the owner and to each other. It notes how the project delivery method and contract relationships greatly impact the commissioning process. The commissioning plan should offer clarity over which contractor has overall system readiness and performance responsibility, which needs to be in line with the terms of that contractor's relationship with the owner.

The article focuses on ownership requirements in the owner's project in building. Topics discussed include active owner engagement in building systems being an educational process, successful preservation of owner's interests following owner's involvement in the building process, internal conflicts between architects and engineers in traditional design teams and role of commissioning professionals in facilitating development of the owner's project requirements.

The article focuses on various types of design reviews that are available in the design and construction industry. Suggestion on the importance for commissioning professionals to review expectations during the scope and fee development portion of the project is provided. Tips on how to properly select a commissioning team that can provide the desired skill set are also offered.

The article presents the author's insights about the utilization of commissioning action list for construction phase design. Topics include the request for information (RFI) process, system performance deficiencies, and assignment of coordination/integration commissioning action list items to the general contractor or construction manager.

The article offers the author's insights on building systems commissioning. Topics include the importance of defining the term commissioning for new project teams, use of the term by industrial plants and shipbuilders since the building design and construction market used it, and the proposed third-party commissioning services to a new building construction project.

The article discusses the control submittal review and controls integration process in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Topics covered include the focus of the process on confirming that the controls of the system are effectively integrated with on-board controllers. Also mentioned is the need for controls contractors to be deeply knowledgeable with this process.

The article presents the author's comments on the pre-functional checklists, which improve the chances of readiness of commissioned systems by having someone's signature attesting to that fact. The author believes that technology has evolved to the point of making the pre-functional checklist obsolete in major new construction projects. The author points out that it is possible for the commissioning professional to assess system readiness from the office with the help of internet.

The article presents the author's views on substantial completion and trend of owners that accept buildings as substantially complete even when mechanical and electrical systems are not fully integrated and incomplete. She explains that most owners just want results and are no longer interested in details. The author suggests that owners must promote functional testing to determine the outcomes and efficiency of HVAC systems.

The author reflects on the importance of commissioning in a construction project to ensure the accessibility and control of the needed components. She cites the need for owner/operator of the project to make sure that reasonable equipment accessibility is part of the requirements to have proper coordination and control between among users. The author also points out the important role of the commissioning professional to observe and document accessibility issues in the construction process.

The article presents the author's views regarding the commissioning process in the construction industry. It notes that the uncertain outcome during commissioning is when the systems design does not meet with the facilities operators' approval. Moreover, it suggests that before arriving to the end of construction, the issues must be first resolved to the owner's satisfaction.

The article presents the third part of the Building Commissioning Association's (BCxA) eleven Essential Attributes of Building Commissioning in the U.S. It notes the Essential Attribute Number 5 where it recommends that the commissioning roles and scope of the design and construction members be defined in contracts and specifications. Moreover, it mentions Attribute Number 6 where each project is commissioned with a written commissioning plan.

In this article the author offers her opinion about commissioning and energy conservation in construction projects. She believes that energy model should be reviewed by commissioning professionals as a part of the commissioning design reviews. The author suggests that minimum energy performance prerequisite should be a construction submission instead of a design submission. The verification of commissioning professional's responsibilities is also proposed.

The article discusses the commissioning of an office building for expansion. It notes that the commissioning team conducted functional performance tests at the end of construction and confirmed that all the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems performed as intended. Moreover, the design and construction commissioning process was intended to match system integration, setpoints, and control sequences to the dynamic needs of building occupants and processes.

The author reflects on the complex building endeavor involving the general contractors and subcontractor in the design and construction industry. According to the author, assuming of roles and responsibilities based on historical precedents of constructing building are no longer good enough. She asserts that because present construction already denies the inherent integrated nature of building, a fully functional building is already documented as systems instead of just components.

The article focuses on the difference between design-bid-build (D-B-B) and design-build (D-B) in commissioning processes. It explores the ways of handling equipment shop drawing and submittal reviews by commissioning professionals in both D-B and D-B-B projects. It also offers recommendations in managing with the projects.

The article discusses the commissioning process of reviewing a contractor's equipment submittals for the Enhanced Commissioning credit in its LEED certification program in the U.S. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) requires the submittal to be reviewed for compliance with the owner's project requirement (OPR) and basis of design (BOD). If properly represented, the required submittal review would be a comparison of the proposed equipment against the requirements of the contract documents.

The article focuses on the implication of orientation and mobility (O&M) training as part of standardization for commissioning in the U.S. construction industry. Design engineers described O&M training as vital element for the completion of the construction project. System training is recognized as one of the critical aspect of commissioning in the construction phase. It discusses two major areas including the dynamical system location and training location with construction observation.

The article discusses the projects that are designed and constructed as a core & shell (C&S) by the developer with customized tenant fit-out (TFO) of occupied spaces as they are leased. The issue of whether commissioning will be limited to the C&S project or extend into the subsequent TFO projects is tackled.

The article discusses several aspects of commissioning core and shell (C&S)/tenant fit-out (TFO) new construction projects in the U.S. According to the author, the C&S portion of the new building industry is often designed and constructed without knowing exactly who or what activities would occupy all parts of the finished building. In TFO level, both the real estate developer and future tenant can understand of what is being provided by the C&S part of the building.

The article focuses on the amount of time the commissioning professional is expected to be on-site during construction. There is a point of diminishing return when being on site too much can lead to three possible outcomes. First, there is a risk of doing the contractors' work for them. Next is the potential for the commissioning professional to become too friendly with the contractors. Third, there is temptation on the contractor's part to take a casual approach to scheduling commissioning activities.

The article presents the author's opinions regarding the importance of building commissioning. The design and construction industry is facing problems in delivering standard, uncomplicated buildings that function properly. The industry does not have a good record in delivering facilities with complex systems, such as an integrated heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; life safety controls; etc. Building systems commissioning has an important role to play in the construction of new buildings. Contractors should implement the building commissioning process as they are responsible for delivering a building that meets the contract document requirements.

Explores the applicability of commissioning in retail. Short- and long-term benefits of commissioning; Responsibility of store owners to define what the performance requirements are when contracting with the design-builder; Possibility of incorporating commissioning activities into the standard design and construction policies.

Discusses the advantages of preparing systems operating procedures (SOP) during the building design and construction stage. Role of facilities management professionals in formulating the SOP; Need for the design and construction team to collaborate with the controls contractor in preparing the building operational instructions; Implications for the operability and maintainability of building systems.

Examines the difference of building automation startup (BAS) and fine tuning and commissioning in the context of facilities design and construction industry. Absence of relationship between commissioning and fine tuning of BAS; Importance of BAS in office space; Project specifications in construction industry.

Discusses the standardization of the commissioning process to minimize effort and costs in the design/construction industry. Standard system configurations and sequences of operations; Walt Disney World's adoption of commissioning to improve building performance and the company's bottom line; Benefits of commissioning for management.

Determines the relationship between partnering and commissioning process. Execution of a design and construction project; Critical aspects of a project's success; Partnering approaches in the construction industry.

Focuses on the formal punchlists process and commissioning verification test in construction industry. Definition of punchlist process by the American Institute of Architecture; Discovery of operational deficiencies during verification testing; Use of commissioning verification test to test the function or dynamic performance of the systems.

Expounds on factors to consider in assessing the quality of a construction project. Meeting of budget allocations; Performance of cost estimates; Payment and change-order processes; Maintenance of a master construction schedule; Meeting of owner's expectations.

Offers advice on commissioning in design-build (D-B) construction projects. Key differences between traditional and D-B projects; Importance of the commissioning process to D-B projects; Absence of well-documented design and/or as-built drawings.

Provides information on the design intent document (DID), considered the backbone of the commissioning process. Representation of the objectives of the project from a systems performance standpoint; Testing criteria; Importance of the DID.

Assesses the significance of quality control and commissioning in overseeing the implementation of construction projects in the United States. Aspects of commissioning; Definition of quality control; Implication of operation and maintenance on equipment and systems.

Categories various types of building owners in terms of their commissioning of services. Needs for commissioning; Involvement in the construction project; Level of knowledge on building systems.

Discusses the basic elements of a focused, non-competitive, logical approach to problem solving resulting from the integration of a commissioning consultant into the design and construction team. Includes well-defined team member roles; Mutual respect for professional capabilities; Listening to and responding to other people's ideas, experiences and needs.