Part 1 - Description of the works Testing and commissioning

Testing and commissioning

General Overview

Each M&E contractor will be responsible for the testing and commissioning of their stand-
alone installations. In some instances one contractor’s commencement will be dependant
upon another’s completion or partial completion. For instance: -
• All commissioning is going to be dependant upon the provision of the LV
electrical power supplies. Temporary supplies can be provided to a certain
extent, which should be viewed as a last resort.
• The final commissioning of chillers and cooling towers is going to be dependant
upon the chilled water flushing.
• BMS commissioning is partially dependant upon the commissioning of the
systems with which it interfaces.
• Fire alarm commissioning is partially dependant upon the commissioning of the
systems with which it interfaces.

Incomplete building construction and finishes works can add to commissioning delays: -
• Escape staircases cannot be pressure tested if there are walls and doors
missing.
• Busbars cannot be energised whilst contractors are still using them as part of
their scaffolding arrangements.
• Generator engines cannot be started up whilst bricklayers are making good
around the flue discharges.
• Final decorations and finishes should be complete where final fix items have to
be installed.

It is not the responsibility of the M&E contractors to point out the missing construction
items that are likely to affect their commissioning.
Due to their failings particular M&E contractors may not be able to meet the programmed
commissioning date. So they are hardly likely to present a list of construction items that
will delay the commencement of their commissioning in sufficient time for those items to
be cleared before a commencement date they know they cannot meet. It is more than
likely that they will drip-feed the reasons why they can’t start as a smoke screen for their
own failings.

So it is important that meetings are held well in advance of the commissioning

commencement date to establish the following: -

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• The power on requirements associated with commissioning.

• The progress of design matters, particularly regarding software writing.
• Are all of the control panels available?
• Are all of the controls available?
• Are all of the interfaces clearly established?
• Are the commissioning resources bought at the award stage still available.
• Are all commissioning method statements in place.
• There are no misunderstandings regarding responsibilities i.e. who provides the
means of high level access.
• Any items of outstanding builderswork that could effect commissioning.

Throughout the commissioning period the majority of the work is going to have to be
demonstrated to the consultants and the local authority’s satisfaction. This can lead to
problems regarding attendance when one particular body cancels for some reason. It is
important to ensure that this attendance time has been purchased from the contractors.

It is important to ensure that the commissioning periods of all individual M&E trades tie-in
to the same dates. However, the overall commissioning period for the electrical
contractor will need to commence before the dates indicated in the other trades contract
programmes. This is because they need to commission their own MV and LV supplies
prior to the LV supplies being available for other trades commissioning.
The commissioning power availability dates for each of the main areas need to be
separately identified on the contract programmes.
It is important to show the commissioning periods as separate items. For instance Figure
1.7 clearly indicates that the “Overall commissioning period” is complete by the end of
week 45, and the “Integrated System Testing” commences on week 46.

Figure 1.7 Typical Contract Programme Commissioning Sequence

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Don’t wait until PC for the Operating Manuals (O&M’S), draft copies should be available
well in advance.

Integrated System Testing (IST)

When the contractors have completed their stand-alone commissioning and the
associated interfaces with other trades i.e. the fire alarm and in particular the BMS. They
will all to some extent (perhaps only in attendance) partake in the Integrated System
Testing (IST). This is where all of the stand-alone commissioned systems work together
to perform the functions as defined in the specifications. This will include: -
• Automatic sequential re-starting of systems by the generator following a power
failure.
• Functionality of all plant in conjunction with the BMS in fully automatic operation.
• Functionality of all plant in conjunction with the fire alarm in fully automatic
operation.

In order for this to work correctly all installation and commissioning works associated with
the IST need to be complete before its commencement.
It will be said that the IST can be carried out in one-week, which in theory may be correct;
in practice it is best to allow four-weeks.

Black Building Testing

At sometime during the IST period the Black Building Tests need to be carried out.
These can be done either at the beginning or end of the IST period. The timing is usually
determined by how well or not so well the IST is performing.
The Black Building Tests basically relate to the operation of the electrical changeovers in
respect of partial and total power failure scenarios.
It will be said that the Black Building Tests can be carried out in two-days, which in theory
may be correct; in practice it is best to allow two-weeks.

Individual services testing and commissioning

Ventilation
The ventilation ductwork testing will be carried out and witnessed by the consultants
during the natural progression of the installation works. The testing of ductwork involves
air pressurisation for a given period of time. Following the successful testing particular
aspects of the ductwork installations regarding supply air require insulating; insulating is
also referred to as “lagging”. The insulation of ductwork should not be carried out until
the ductwork has been tested.

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There are occasions where parts of an installation may require sectional testing before
they are fully complete in order to allow for the commencement of a following trades work.
For instance, sectional testing would be necessary for ductwork that was going to be
concealed within riser shafts, if it meant that the riser encasement was critical for another
facet of the project’s commencement. Sectional testing would also be necessary for all
M&E services installed above a none-accessible ceiling in a lobby or reception area, if the
ceilings had to commence before the M&E services were entirely complete.

The commissioning of a ventilation system should not commence until it has been
thoroughly inspected. The AHU’s, ductwork, plenums and attenuators need to be cleared
of debris and dust.
The commissioning of individual ventilation systems involves: -
1. Power on and live cable testing.
2. Ensuring that the fans and controls operate correctly when turned on.
3. Ensuring that the BMS control is operational.
4. The total volumes of air movement are in accordance with the specification.
5. The balancing of the air around the system.
6. The fans and controls operate in smoke extract mode with the fire alarm.

Not all ventilation systems will have the full extent of the above six items associated with
their commissioning. Some ventilation systems work in conjunction with one-another and
could be partially complete for a period of time. It is unlikely that any of the ventilation
systems would be commissioned with the BMS in “automatic” prior to the IST.

Mechanical

Mechanical pipework testing

The mechanical pipework testing will be carried out and witnessed by the consultants
following sectional completions of the installation. The testing of pipework involves water
pressurisation for a given period of time. Following the successful testing particular
aspects of the pipework installations require insulating. The insulation of pipework should
not be carried out until the pipework has been tested. There are instances where the
pipework will have to be trace heated prior to being lagged.
Similarly to the ventilation there are going to be instances where sectional testing of
pipework is required. The chilled water pipework cannot be tested until it is filled with
water, and it should not be filled with water until the entire pipework installation, or large
sections of it have been completed.
Once the chilled water system pipework has been filled and is undergoing pressure
testing, all of the leaking welds and flanged joints should reveal themselves.

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When the leaks have been discovered and rectified the system can be re-filled and re-
tested. (The system may have to be fully drained in order to carry out the repairs).
The capability of the mechanical contractor will determine how many times they have to
drain and re-fill the system to repair any leaks.

Chilled / condenser water pipework commissioning

The items described below refer also to the commissioning of the condenser water
pipework.
The chilled water pipework system is fundamental to the final commissioning of all
ventilation systems that require cooling. Therefore any delays to the chilled water
pipework installation and its subsequent commissioning will extend the IST period and
delay the project completion date.

With regard to its commissioning the chilled water pipework system as an entity is
probably one of the most difficult to accomplish. Because as stated within the Mechanical
– Description of Works “The chilled water pipework extends throughout almost every area
of the building” This will include the key areas of the project i.e. basement level plant
rooms, risers and levels 17 and 18 plant rooms.

Once the pipework has been fully tested to the approval of the consultants and the
commissioning manager then the flushing process can commence.

Flushing involves the pumping of chemically treated water around the pipework. In doing
so
this treatment removes all of the burrs and debris within the pipework that were created
during the welding process. The flushing process will be repeated until the entire residue
has been removed from the pipework to the satisfaction of the commissioning manager.
A complete description of the chilled water commissioning process is detailed in template
TP01 – Chilled Water Plant Room.
The pipework installation is the only part of the chilled water system that gets flushed.
The plant items i.e. chillers, AHU’s, pumps & fan coil units remain isolated from the
system and by-pass valves and spades are inserted ensure that the water flow is
maintained throughout the pipework.
This means that the residue does not enter into and clog up the small bore pipework that
makes up the internal cooling coils of the plant.
Once all of the debris has been flushed out of the pipework the by-pass valves are closed
and clean treated water is allowed to flow through all of the coils within the plant.

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The above describes the correct method of carrying out the work. Of course in the real
world all manner of shortcuts are utilised to meet the commissioning date.
These usually involve the blanking off of pipes in risers that should serve areas where the
pipework has not been installed (for whatever reason) prior to the commissioning
commencement date. But being eager not to delay the programmed flushing
commencement, mechanical contractors have been known to commence the flushing on
a partly completed pipework installation.
Then following its installation the missing pipework is back-flushed using the clean treated
water that is flowing around the system. The effects of this can be quite catastrophic,
depending upon how much of the systems pipework has been back-flushed, and how
much of the residue is blocking the coils of the plant.
Unfortunately this may not be known until particular plant items fail to accomplish their
specified criteria. Then it becomes a case of stripping down each particular plant item
and manually cleaning out the coils.
It has been known for a manufacturer to spend six-weeks cleaning out their chiller coils
as a result of back-flushing incomplete pipework.

Other items to be aware of during the chilled water commissioning process are: -
• Faulty main valves blowing causing flooding to the project
• Pumps undersized by the consultants and requiring replacement
• Main flow and return pipework connections crossed

There is a lot of work to be accomplished regarding the installation of the chilled water
pipework system before the commissioning stage is reached. Also, the programmed
installation has to fit within the parameters of the Key Dates and Durations Schedule.

Chillers and cooling towers

Both of the above can be commissioned to a certain extent before they require
connection to a fully commissioned condenser water pipework system. The condenser
water pipework will be commissioned in the same manner as the chilled water pipework.
The chillers and cooling towers then need to be fully commissioned in order to provide
cooling to the ventilation plant via the chilled water system.

Public health
Rainwater and foul drainage
The rainwater and foul drainage pipework testing will be carried out and witnessed by the
consultants following sectional completions of the installation. The local authority will also

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want to witness these tests once they are fully complete. The rainwater and foul drainage
pipework testing involves water pressurisation for a given period of time.
The only commissioning involves the foul drainage sump pumps that are located in the
basement level B3 slab.

Instances will arise where bathroom pod wastes are connected to foul drainage riser
stacks.
Both the pod supplier and the riser installer will be responsible for the testing of their own
works. Once the pod has been connected to the riser it will have to be re-tested through
the connection and into the riser. This is fine so long as the test holds up. If the test fails
then problems will arise because neither the pod supplier nor the riser installer will initially
assume responsibility for the leak. This could amount to both companies re-testing their
works, and if an innocent party is discovered then they will want compensating for their
additional work.
A project that consisted of a series of high-rise apartment blocks that collectively
contained over 500 bathroom pods would warrant a regime that ensured the testing was
co-ordinated between all parties. Otherwise there could be serious delays to that
project’s completion as well extension of time claims.

Domestic water supplies

The domestic water supply pipework testing will be carried out and witnessed by the
consultants following sectional completions of the installation. The domestic water supply
pipework testing involves water pressurisation for a given period of time.
Following the successful testing the domestic water supply pipework installations require
insulating. This should not be carried out until the pipework has been tested. There are
instances where the pipework will have to be trace heated prior to being lagged.
Domestic water tanks will have to be tested for leakage, booster sets and pumps will
have to be commissioned. In toilets, water heaters need commissioning along with
mixing valves and tap pressure and temperature settings. Flood tests need to be carried
out and finally the system will have to be chlorinated.

Fire protection
Wet risers and sprinklers
The fire protection wet riser and sprinkler pipework testing will be carried out and
witnessed by the consultants following sectional completions of the installation. The
testing of pipework involves water pressurisation for a given period of time. Following the
successful testing particular aspects of the fire protection pipework installations require
insulating. The insulation of pipework should not be carried out until the pipework has
been tested.

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Wet riser and sprinkler water tanks will have to be tested for leakage, pumps and controls
will have to be commissioned along with fire alarm and BMS interfaces. Flow rates and
pump pressures and drain tests have to be carried out. All of which will have to be
demonstrated to the local authority.

Electrical
The termination and testing of an MV cable is a specialist operation that usually occurs at
the same time. MV cables are generally energised within 24 hours of termination and
testing. Failure to do so means that the testing should be repeated before the cables are
energised. The switching on and off of MV supplies is also a specialist operation.
An MV supply has to be energised in order to create a LV supply. It is possible that the
MV supply to a transformer could be energised for a long period of time before the supply
is switched through to its LV panel.
LV cable terminations are not necessarily a specialist operation, but companies tend to
“sub-out” the termination work along with the pulling-in of the LV (&MV) cables.
Before MV / LV supplies are energised the following items need to be completed or in
place: -
• Lockable door to the switch room
• Main earthing cables to incoming utility services.
• Emergency power off buttons installed and working.
• Metering (if remote from LV panel).
• Test LV panel with remote power source (flash test)
• Pressure test (for MV).
• Earth cable readings.
• Phase rotation (supply connections must not be crossed).
• Written power on method statement.
• Signage on 11,000 Volt cables.
• Advise others of power on date.
• Provide warning signs and notices.
• Provide electric shock notice.
• Provide framed schematic drawing.
• Provide rubber mats in front of electrical switchgear and switchpanels.
• Lock off all switches on MV and LV switchgear and switchpanels.

Electrical commissioning will not be carried out until the majority of a distribution boards
sub-circuits or an LV cable installation has been fully terminated. Electrical
commissioning involves testing the cables before they are energised to ensure that there

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are no short-circuits or earth faults. Then following energisation testing to make sure that
the circuit will “trip” in the event of a fault occurring.

Typical electrical commissioning problems

A power-on regime needs to be established by the commissioning manager in order to
focus the electrical contractor and prevent power on delays to critical items.

Single phase 230 Volt supplies for dampers or BMS outstations fed from a local
distribution board can give rise to commissioning problems. There could be a situation
where power is required to these items but the distribution board has not been
commissioned. Worse still, it has hundreds of cables hanging out of it that are awaiting
connection.
To prevent situations like this arising the commissioning manager needs to establish what
items are likely to present commissioning problems and address them accordingly.

Emergency power supplies

Each individual aspect of the emergency power supplies has to be commissioned
separately before the generators can be fully commissioned. The ventilation, cooling and
fuel oil commissioning will be as explained in the previous ventilation and mechanical
paragraphs.
So by the time the generators are ready to be fully commissioned they should have: -
• Ventilated plant room
• Cooling system
• Completed exhaust
• Automatic fuel supply
• Complete and partially tested electrical mains and controls

The generators will be run-up and commissioned separately before being synchronised
and set to work as a group. They will each undergo a load-test for which a separate load-
bank will have to be brought in.
The controls and remote starting of the generators will have to be tested along with the
functionality testing of the whole electrical systems; culminating with the Black Building
Testing.
Each of these steps will have interfaces with the BMS. The most complicated interface
with the BMS is going to be the load management of the building. This is the
determination and control of the sequential re-switching of the emergency power supplies
to the building following a total power failure.

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BMS
In terms of commissioning everything regarding the BMS is critical. But some things are
more critical than others. The most critical items are: -
• Power failure / re-start load management
• Chilled & condenser water
• Ventilation
The BMS has input into the majority of the items that make up the IST / Black Building
Testing. All of these interfaces have to be proved and demonstrated individually and then
globally prior to the IST / Black Building Testing commencement.

In terms of commissioning the BMS has to demonstrate all of the controls / alarms and
graphics as identified in the specification, for all associated plant and switchgear to the
consultant’s satisfaction.

It is only when the BMS is ready for commissioning that the real problems are about to
begin.
A typical selection of BMS commissioning problems for a single plant item are listed
below. (They usually arrive in this sequence and they commence with the appropriate
emotion): -

1. Confusion - with the M&E and fire alarm contractors over who connects to what with
regard to interfaced plant connections.
2. More confusion - with the M&E and fire alarm contractors over who provides what
with regard to interfaced plant connections.
3. Further confusion - regarding exactly what requires power-on for the BMS controls
commissioning of a single item of plant.
4. Amazement /slight anger - when it discovered that the criteria finally determined for
item 3 was actually incorrect.
5. Shock / anger - when it is discovered that there are some critical “points” that have
not been wired.
6. Debate / rage - to determine the blame for item 5.
7. Astonishment - at the discovery that there are not enough “point” connections in the
local “outstation” therefore a further “outstation” is required.
8. Major debate / fighting-talk - to determine the blame for item 7.
9. Joy / surprise - the BMS controls did work.
10. Astonishment / fury - following the discovery that the interfaces with the M&E and fire
alarm contractors didn’t work, usually due to the wrong relays being fitted and
generally resulting in a small explosion.

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11. Bewilderment / time off sick – when the software design does not work in relation to
the plant and the graphics are displaying something totally different as well.
12. Satisfaction – When it is eventually working correctly. That wasn’t too bad! So what
if there were a few snags lets move on to the next item, only another 109 to go.

There they are, the 12 things needed to know about BMS commissioning. Oh! there is
another. The BMS contractor will not assume responsibility for any of them.

Fire alarm
The commissioning of the fire alarm will revolve around the functionality of its Cause and
Effect Schedule. This relates to all scenarios involving evacuation when fire has been
detected with various parts of the building. Like the BMS the fire alarm interfaces with
other systems. All of which have to be proved and demonstrated individually and then
globally prior to the IST / Black Building Testing commencement.

The final software for the annunciator panel cannot be completely written until the last
detection loop has been completed. This is because the order in which the loops are
wired will determine the way the software is written, and it cannot be commissioned until
the software writing is complete.

The fire alarm commissioning involves the activation of each individual detector and a
visual inspection of the annunciator panel display to ensure that they are compatible.
The ventilation plant interfaces need to be tested including the smoke extract and
staircase pressurisation. All of the ventilation plant should shut down, with the exception
of the staircase pressurisation fans, which should start up. There are switches on the
annunciator panel that will operate the smoke extract fans at the discretion of the fire
marshal or the fire brigade. Other items that have to be demonstrated include:

• Beam detection
• Fire telephones
• Voice alarm sound levels
• Testing on battery supply only
• All other plant interfaces
• Interfaces with the security system
• Interfaces with lifts
All of this has to be demonstrated to the consultants and local authority’s satisfaction.

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Security
The security commissioning involves the setting up and operational testing of all the
devices that it consists of. Including the programming of access devices (cards etc.),
which enable various modes of restrictive access.
The system should fail safe (depending upon the area) in the event of power failure or fire
detection.

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