NIBS Guideline 3-2012

1 An Authoritative Source of Innovative Solutions for the Built EnvironmentNational Institute ofBUILDING SCIENCESNIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process BECx This Guideline is for Use with ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005: The commissioning Process April 2012 NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page i NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process BECx This Guideline is for Use with ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005: The commissioning Process Copyright 2012 National I nstitute of Building Sciences NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page 1 Project Committee for NIBS Guideline 3 Rob Kistler Committee Chair Fiona Aldous Pre Design Chair David Altenhofen Design Chair William R. Nash Construction Chair Tim Corbett Occupancy/Operations Chair Joseph Deringer Bob Magoon Dirk Meyer Earle Kennett VP, NIBS Stephanie Stubbs Staff, NIBS NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary.

2 3 Foreword .. 4 1. Purpose .. 7 2. Scope .. 7 3. Definitions .. 8 4. Pre-Design Phase .. 9 5. Design Phase .. 15 6. Construction Phase .. 22 7. Occupancy and Operations Phase .. 29 Annexes Annex A Informative Guide for Developing Supplementary Technical guidelines for the commissioning Process Annex B Informative commissioning Process Flowchart With Flow Diagram and Mile-stones Annex C Informative Costs and Benefits Propose adding to existing annex a general statement in GL03 provid-ing links to DOE, NIST studies (call out citation for document) on Com-missioning Costs. Use a Gl03 link to the WBDG where a web page on building enclosure commissioning costs. Annex D Informative Documentation and Responsibilities Annex E Informative commissioning Process Request for Qualifications Example [Proposed] Annex F Informative Roles and Responsibilities - commissioning Team Members Annex G Informative commissioning Plan Example [Proposed] Annex H Informative Verification Plan Example [Proposed] Annex I Informative Owner s Project Requirements Workshop Guidance Design Charrette [Proposed]

3 NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page 2 Annex J Informative Owner s Project Requirements OPR Checklist OPR Native Word Document Annex K Informative Basis of Design BOD Checklist BOD Native Word Document Annex L Informative Specifications Preliminary Table of Contents for Specification Sections that may include Building Enclosure commissioning Requirements Building Enclosure Specifications Example Draft Specification, Section 19113 Building Enclosure commissioning Example Specification 01810 of General Requirements for a Recent Project Example Specification 01811 of Fenestration System Testing Requirements for a Recent Project 01811 -- Mock Up Specification [Proposed] Air Barrier Specification [Proposed] Quality Specification [Proposed] Annex M Informative Construction Checklists Provide checklists and web links to organizations with checklists, instal-lation guides.

4 Annex O Informative Systems Manual Annex P Informative Training Manual and Operational Training Annex R Informative Integration Requirements Proposed to add to existing annex a discussion of Building Enclosure Virtual Mock Ups, BIM CLASH Annex S Informative Interference and Coordination with other Systems (See Annex R) Annex T Informative Communications: What, When and Who (Not used, see Annex R) Annex U Informative Exterior Building Enclosure Performance Testing ADD Components and Accessory Materials Qualification Testing NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page 3 [Proposed] Laboratory Testing Laboratory Testing Case Study Example Field Testing Field Testing Case Study Example Recommended Practice for Incremental Field Water Testing Example Doors and Windows Functional Test for a re-cent project Example Mock up Window Functional Test for a recent project - ASTM E1105 Example Exterior Wall Drainage Plane System Function-al Test for a recent project Example masonry flashing functional performance test Functional performance testing masonry - ASTM E1601 Whole Building Testing USACOE Air Leakage Testing Resources for Testing NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page 1 NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning (BECx)

5 Process EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The process of commissioning the enclosure follows a similar process as other building sys-tems. However, commissioning the enclosure differs from commissioning other building systems in the focus on materials and assemblies. The enclosure is designed and field assembled from numerous materials with varying properties. These materials are manufactured by different companies for a specific function, assembled mostly on site one piece at a time by many differ-ent tradespeople, working for several different contractors with often minimal coordination. The work is performed in all possible weather conditions with the intention of meeting very well-defined performance criteria. The performance of the enclosure cannot be verified until the en-tire building is completely enclosed. At this time it is not possible to tune or dial in the perfor-mance.

6 To access a nonperforming subsystem or assembly might be very expensive. Thus, the most reliable means to achieve performance targets during construction is to assure that an ex-pert with technical knowledge of the design and installation of the systems being proposed for the building is integrated into the design process and to visually observe the installation of a sta-tistical sampling of the work. Verification testing should be performed throughout the installation of the enclosure subsystems and components. GL03 describes a process that provides the flexibility for an owner to incorporate building enclo-sure commissioning into their project. The Building Enclosure commissioning (BECx) process is utilized to validate that the performance of materials, components, assemblies, systems and de-sign achieve the objectives and requirements of the owner as outlined in the contract docu-ments.

7 The most effective commissioning Process ideally begins at project inception (during the Pre-Design Phase) and continues for the life of the facility (through the Occupancy and Opera-tions Phase). Direction for the commissioning team is provided by the Owners Project Requirements (OPR) at the inception of a project and the proper transfer of this information from one party to the next throughout the life of the building. Due to the integration and connectivity of facility systems, a performance deficiency in one system can result in less than optimal performance in other sys-tems. For optimal performance the building s commissioning team, in the various systems to be commissioned, should include cross disciplinary understanding of related systems with a thor-ough technical knowledge of their specific area of responsibility. The commissioning team is as-sembled at the Pre-Design phase and can adapt to the changing nature of the project design and construction phases.

8 Pre-Design is the preparatory phase of the project delivery process. The owner s initial concepts and desires are documented in the Owner s Project Requirements (OPR). A preliminary outline of the Building Enclosure commissioning Plan is created to establish the commissioning team, the preliminary scope and the budgets for the various phases of the project. During the design phase, the BECx process includes the technical review of the design docu-ments and coordination of the building enclosure requirements among the BECx team mem-bers. Throughout this phase, the objectives of the OPR are further defined to reflect the owner s decisions and changes. A project specific building enclosure commissioning specification is de-veloped for inclusion in the project manual. NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page 2 During the construction phase the contractor, specialty subcontractors and the testing agents are engaged in the commissioning process.

9 Specific to each project delivery method, the BECx process incorporates tasks throughout the construction phase, including a preconstruction meeting, review and comment on building enclosure technical submittals and shop drawings. Also participating in laboratory and/or site mock-ups, development of project specific checklists, milestone construction observation site visits and performance testing to validate the installed work complies with the construction documents and the OPR. The occupancy phase of the BECx process includes training of the owner in operation and maintenance of the building enclosure and inter-related systems. A review of the performance of the building enclosure materials, components and assemblies is recommended prior to the con-clusion of the initial warranty period. This Guideline is most appropriate for new construction.

10 NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning Process Final 25 April 2012 Page 3 NIBS Guideline 3- 2012 Building Enclosure commissioning (BECx) Process FOREWORD Building Enclosures have grown more and more complex and typically less and less forgiving for energy performance, occupant satisfaction, durability and operational cost replacement needs etc. This Guideline provides recommendations for navigating the enclosure commission-ing process from its necessary inclusion in project planning to its continued emphasis through-out the life of a building. The Guideline is intended to be useable by all owners for all building types. More complex buildings with a lower tolerance for risk derived from poor performance during occupancy will likely increase the involvement of the Building Enclosure Specialist throughout the project delivery process.