ASHRAE_Guideline_0-2019_ - Page 042
Extracted Content
(This appendix is not part of this guideline. It is merely informative and does not contain requirements necessary for conformance to the guideline.)
INFORMATIVE APPENDIX L SPECIFICATIONS
This appendix provides an example of how to implement part of Guideline 0. It is not intended to be a comprehensive representation or a best-practice example. Practitioners applying the Cx should carefully follow Guideline 0 and applicable commissioning technical guidelines tailored to their specific projects.
L1. SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE CX
L1.1 This appendix provides guidance on writing specifications for Cx Activities to be performed by construction contractors. A guide specification is included with the assumption that the construction contractor is involved only during the construction phase and for the correction and warranty period.
L1.2 Cx is a quality-oriented process for achieving, verifying, and documenting that the performance of facility systems and assemblies meets defined objectives and criteria. The Cx begins at project inception during the Predesign Phase and continues for the life of the facility through the Occupancy and Operations Phase. During the Predesign Phase, the OPR is determined and documented by the CxP Team, which includes the Owner, CxP, design professionals, O&M personnel, occupants, and users. Throughout each phase of the project, deliverables (drawings, specifications, submittals, construction, training, documentation, etc.) are verified against the OPR.
L1.3 An important document created during the Cx is the BoD. The design professionals create this document or report during the Design Phase. The BoD records the concepts, calculations, decisions, and product selections to meet the OPR and to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, standards, and guidelines. It can include energy, environmental, sustainability, and other certification criteria, both formal and informal. The BoD includes both narrative descriptions and lists of individual items that support the design process.
L1.4 ASHRAE or NIBS Guideline 0 provides guidance on content and basic format. While the OPR comprises Ownerdeveloped criteria, few Owners have the resources to develop the OPR. Owners without these resources depend on the CxP Team (see Section 4 definition) to assist them in developing the OPR.
L1.5 The OPR and BoD must be included or referenced in the construction contract documents for informational purposes only.
L1.6 The construction contractor’s obligation is to construct the building and its systems and assemblies according to the requirements prescribed in the contract documents. There normally are no performance requirements relating to the OPR stated in the contract documents. The exceptions to this include situations where contractors are required to provide designs for systems or assemblies to be signed and sealed by licensed professionals.
L2. THE CX PROVIDER
L2.1 The primary role of the CxP is to verify achievement of the OPR throughout the project, from Predesign Phase through Occupancy and Operations Phase. The Owner should perform this role.
L2.2 When the Owner cannot perform the CxP duties with qualified personnel, the CxP should have a separate professional services agreement with the Owner, as this avoids conflicts of interest and provides independence from the other parties (the Owner’s project manager, designers of record, construction managers, suppliers, and construction contractors). This professional services agreement defines the duties, rights, and responsibilities of the CxP for each phase of the project. This separate relationship allows the CxP to act independently as director of Cx Activities, to focus on achieving the OPR, and to communicate directly with the Owner.
L2.3 The CxP is a group of personnel with expertise and experience in the design, construction, and operations of the various systems and assemblies included in the project. These personnel are led by an individual who has expertise and experience in successfully implementing the Cx.
L2.4 If the CxP is an employee, associate, or partner of the same organization as the designer of record or construction management firm, there is a conflict of interest. While not a recommended approach, in these instances the CxP must have a separate professional services agreement, be organizationally separate from the Design Team or construction management team, and define and manage the conflicts of interest to provide the Owner with the independence required for the Cx to be successful.
L2.5 The CxP does not perform testing; it directs the process and directs the recording of the results. The CxP plans, schedules, and supervises Cx Activities to verify achievement of the OPR. The contractor completes construction checklists, performs tests, and accomplishes other Cx Activities.
L3. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY FOR INCLUSION OF COMMISSIONING ACTIVITIES IN THE SPECIFICATIONS
L3.1 Specifications (as a part of the construction contract documents) should include only the Cx Activities the contractors perform during the life of the construction contract, including the work required during the correction period and for warranties.
L3.2 Supplementary Conditions. Modify the general conditions of the contract for construction in a document titled “Supplementary Conditions.” Among other provisions, define the CxP and include the CxP’s duties, rights, responsibilities, and limits of authority and additional requirements for substantial completion. AIA Document A511, “Guide for Supplementary Conditions,” provides guidance on how to write supplementary conditions.
L3.3 General Requirements for the Cx. Specifications in Division 1 include the general requirements for contractors relating to Cx Activities. The “Summary” Section describes, in general, how the contractors, separate contractors (if there is more than one prime contractor), or construction manager
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