Resources

Acceptance Phase Commissioning: Commissioning tasks executed after the construction has been completed, all Site Observations and Static Tests have been completed and all Pre-Functional Testing has been completed and accepted. The main commissioning activities performed during this phase are verification that the installed systems are functional as verified by conducting Functional Performance tests and Owner Training.

Accuracy: The capability of an instrument to indicate the true value of a measured quantity.

AHJ: The local governing Authority Having Jurisdiction over the installation.

ASHRAE: The American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

Basis of Design (BOD): The Engineer‘s Basis of Design is comprised of two components: the Design Criteria and the Design Narrative, these documents record the concepts, calculations, decisions, and product selections used to meet the Owner‘s Project Requirements (OPR) and to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, standards, and guidelines.

BIM: Building Information Modeling utilizes a 3-dimensional computer-aided design and drafting program to model all aspects of a building which allows discovery of space conflicts, scheduling conflicts and improved design due to improved coordination.

Building Systems Commissioning (BSC): NEBB acronym used to designate its commissioning program.
Calibrate: The act of comparing an instrument of unknown accuracy with a standard of known accuracy to detect, correlate, report, or eliminate by adjustment any variation in the accuracy of the tested instrument.

CCTV: Closed circuit Television. Normally used for security surveillance and alarm detections as part of a special electrical security system.

Checklists: Lists of data or inspections that should be verified to ensure proper system or component installation, operation and function. Verification checklists are developed and used during all phases of the commissioning process to verify that the Owner‘s Project Requirements (OPR) is being achieved.

Commissionability: Defines a design component or construction process that has the necessary elements that will allow a system or component to be effectively measured, tested, operated and commissioned.

Commissioning Agent (CA): The NEBB Certified BSC Professional who administers the Cx process by managing the Cx team. Where CA is used in the standard it means the CA, members of his staff or appointed members of the commissioning team.

Commissioning Plan: A document that outlines the scope and defines responsibilities, processes, schedules, and the documentation requirements of the Commissioning Process.

Commissioning Process: A quality focused process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and documenting that the facility and all of its systems, components, and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, can be operated, and maintained to meet the Owner's Project Requirements.

Commissioning Report: The final document which presents the commissioning process results for the project. Cx reports include an executive summary, the commissioning plan, issue log, correspondence, and all appropriate check sheets and test forms.

Commissioning Team: Individual team members whose coordinated actions are responsible for implementing the Commissioning Process.

Contract Documents (CD): Contract documents include design and construction contracts, price agreements and procedure agreements. Contract Documents also include all final and complete drawings, specifications and all applicable contract modifications or supplements.

Construction Phase Commissioning (CPC): All commissioning efforts executed during the construction process after the design phase and prior to the Acceptance Phase Commissioning.

Coordination Drawings: Drawings showing the work of all trades that are used to illustrate that equipment can be installed in the space allocated without compromising equipment function or access for maintenance and replacement. These drawings graphically illustrate and dimension manufacturers‘ recommended maintenance clearances. On mechanical projects, coordination drawings include structural steel, ductwork, major piping and electrical conduit and show the elevations and locations of the above components.
Deferred System Test: Tests that cannot be completed at the end of the acceptance phase due to ambient conditions, schedule issues or other conditions preventing testing during the normal acceptance testing period.

Deficiency: See ―Issue.

Design Criteria: A listing of the projects design requirements, including its source. These are used during the design process to show the design element meets the OPR.

Design Intent: The overall term that includes the OPR and the BOD. It is a detailed explanation of the ideas, concepts, and criteria that are defined by the owner to be important. The design intent documents are utilized to provide a written record of these ideas, concepts and criteria.

Design Narrative: A written description of the proposed design solutions that satisfy the requirements of the OPR. The preparation of this document is the responsibility of the Engineer. The narrative should include a description of the systems selected and why they were chosen. It should also include reasons other systems were considered and rejected. Acceptance of the items in the Design Narrative should be the consensus of both the Owner and the Engineer.

Design Phase Commissioning (DPC): All commissioning tasks executed during the design phase of the project.

Design Professional: The architect(s) or engineer(s) of record of the project.
Environmental Systems: Systems that use a combination of mechanical equipment, airflow, water flow and electrical energy to provide heating, ventilating, air conditioning, humidification, and dehumidification for the purpose of human comfort or process control of temperature and humidity.

Executive Summary: A section of the Commissioning report that reviews the general outcome of the project. It also includes any unresolved issues, recommendations for the resolution of unresolved issues and all deferred testing requirements.

Functionality: This defines a design component or construction process which will allow a system or component to operate or be constructed in a manner that will produce the required outcome of the OPR.

Functional Performance Test (FPT): Functional performance tests are tests that are intended to prove functionality of the component or system. FPT tests are done after all PFT tests are complete.

Industry Accepted Best Practice: A design component or construction process that has achieved industry consensus for quality performance and functionality. Refer to the current edition of the NEBB Design Phase Commissioning Handbook for examples.

Issue: Any condition that adversely affects the commissionability, operability, maintainability or functionality of a system, equipment or component or an issue that does not conform to the project OPR, contract documents or standard industry best practices.

Issues Log: A formal and ongoing record of problems or concerns – and their resolution – that have been raised by members of the Commissioning Team during the course of the Commissioning Process.

Maintainability: A design component or construction process that will allow a system or component to be effectively maintained. This includes adequate room for access to adjust and repair the equipment. Maintainability also includes components that have readily obtainable repair parts or service.

Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR): A written document that details the project requirements and the expectations of how the building and its systems will be used and operated. These include project goals, measurable performance criteria, cost considerations, benchmarks, success criteria, and supporting information.

Precision: The ability of an instrument to produce repeatable readings of the same quantity under the same conditions. The precision of an instrument refers to its ability to produce a tightly grouped set of values around the mean value of the measured quantity.

Pre-Functional Test (PFT): An inspection or test that is done before functional testing. PFT‘s include installation verification and system and component start up tests.

Procedure: A defined approach that outlines the execution of a sequence of work or operations. Procedures are used to produce repeatable and defined results.

Range: The upper and lower limits of an instrument‘s ability to measure the value of a quantity for which the instrument is calibrated.

Resolution: This word has two meanings in the Cx Process. The first refers to the smallest change in a measured variable that an instrument can detect. The second refers to the implementation of actions that correct a tested or observed deficiency.

Schematic Design (SD): A conceptual image of the projects engineering requirements. Load calculations, preliminary system selection, and flow sheets are developed in this phase of the project. This phase could represent the project at approximately 35% of the design effort.

Site Observation Reports (SO): Reports of site inspections and observations made by the CA. Observation reports are intended to provide early indication of an installation issue which will need correction or analysis.

Special System Inspections: Inspections required by a local code authority prior to occupancy and are not normally a part of the commissioning process.

Static Tests: Tests or inspections that validate a specified static condition such as pressure testing. Static tests may be specification or code initiated.

Start Up Tests: Tests that validate the component or system is ready for automatic operation in accordance with the manufactures requirements.

Systems Manual: A system-focused composite document that includes all information required for the owners operators to operate the systems.

Test Procedure: A written protocol that defines methods, personnel, and expectations for tests conducted on components, equipment, assemblies, systems, and interfaces among systems.

Testing: The use of specialized and calibrated instruments to measure parameters such as: temperature, pressure, vapor flow, air flow, fluid flow, rotational speed, electrical characteristics, velocity, and other data in order to determine performance, operation, or function.

Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TAB): A systematic process or service applied to heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and other environmental systems to achieve and document air and hydronic flow rates. The standards and procedures for providing these services are referred to as “Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing” and are described in the Procedural Standards for the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing of Environmental Systems, published by NEBB or AABC.

Thermal Scans: Thermographic pictures taken with an Infrared Thermographic Camera. Thermographic pictures show the relative temperatures of objects and surfaces and are used to identify leaks, thermal bridging, thermal intrusion, electrical overload conditions, moisture containment, and insulation failure.

Training Plan: A written document that details, in outline form the expectations of the operator training. Training agendas should include instruction on how to obtain service, operate, startup, shutdown and maintain all systems and components of the project.

Validation: The process by which work is verified as complete and operating correctly:
1. First party validation occurs when a firm or individual verifying the task is the same firm or individual performing the task.
2. Second party validation occurs when the firm or individual verifying the task is under the control of the firm performing the task or has other possibilities of financial conflicts of interest in the resolution (Architects, Designers, General Contractors and Third Tier Subcontractors or Vendors).
3. Third party validation occurs when the firm verifying the task is not associated with or under control of the firm performing or designing the task.

Verification: The process by which specific documents, components, equipment, assemblies, systems, and interfaces among systems are confirmed to comply with the criteria described in the Owner‘s Project Requirements.
Warranty Phase Commissioning: Commissioning efforts executed after a project has been completed and accepted by the Owner. Warranty Phase Commissioning includes follow-up on verification of system performance, measurement and verification tasks and assistance in identifying warranty issues and enforcing warranty provisions of the construction contract.

Warranty Visit: A commissioning meeting and site review where all outstanding warranty issues and deferred testing is reviewed and discussed.

Whole Building Commissioning: Commissioning of all building systems such as Building Envelope, HVAC, Electrical, Special Electrical (Fire Alarm, Security & Communications), Plumbing and Fire Protection.