Commissioning High Performance Laboratories - Understanding
the Varied Approaches
Patrick A. Prendergast,
P.E., and John Riley, P.E., George Butler
Associates, Inc.
There is general agreement within the facility commissioning
industry regarding the commissioning process. There are however,
considerable differences of opinion in how the process is executed.
The details regarding who and how the activities are performed within
the process determine whether or not commissioning achieves its
goals for high performance laboratories. Those details define the
commissioning approach.
The Labs21 Approach is to create sustainable, high performance,
and low-energy laboratories that provide for occupant and laboratory
content safety. The goal of commissioning is to ensure facilities
operate as intended to meet those objectives now and in the future.
When developing a commissioning scope of work, the commissioning
approach should be tailored to meet the goal.
The approach the commissioning authority utilizes to execute the
commissioning process varies in several key areas. Those variances
impact the depth, cost, time and ultimately, the success of the
process. A critical question to ask is, "What is the depth
and rigor required of commissioning to achieve the goal?" Once
this question is answered, the following key areas can be further
defined.
- Identify who performs the commissioning verification testing
- General vs. project specific documentation
- Discipline specific commissioning
When the project team, including owner, user, and design team understands
the different approaches to commissioning, the team is better equipped
to facilitate obtaining quality commissioning services applicable
to the project.
The presentation will focus on educating the audience regarding
the various commissioning approaches and how to obtain appropriate
commissioning services that meet the project needs. The presentation
will discuss the various approaches to commissioning and detail
their impact on performance, cost, and success.
Labs21 Connection:
The commissioning presentation will focus on successful commissioning
approaches for high performance laboratories. The speakers have
commissioned multiple bio-containment research laboratories. Laboratories
are complex buildings with complex systems. When laboratory design
incorporates sustainable, high performance and low-energy usage
aspects, the building system's complexity increases to even a higher
degree. It is imperative that the facility be made to work and be
verified to operate per the design and operational intent in order
for the benefits of the design to be realized.
Commissioning is an important component of the laboratory design/construction/occupancy
process and has become a standard for laboratories. It is also the
least understood most varied component of the process. Having a
better understanding of commissioning approaches equips owners and
the owners' design and construction teams with the proper information
so they can obtain the commissioning services they need.
Biographies:
Pat Prendergast serves as the
Project Manager/Commissioning Authority for many of GBA's commissioning
projects. As the Commissioning Authority he has over 9 years of
experience managing the onsite activities of the commissioning team,
and an additional 5 years of experience providing formal commissioning
services. Projects include laboratories, zero down-time facilities,
and large governmental facilities. Pat led the onsite commissioning
activities for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) building 103
and building 18.
Pat has been a speaker and provided educational commissioning workshops
at CDC's 6th annual bio-safety symposium, American Biological Safety
Association (ABSA) 2005 international conference, National Association
of State Facility Managers (NASFA), National Environmental Balancing
Bureau (NEBB) and others.
John Riley serves as the lead electrical
engineer for all of GBA's commissioning projects. John has been
providing electrical systems start-up and commissioning services
for over 15 years and has specialized in commissioning laboratories
for the past six years. Projects include laboratories, data centers,
central utility plants and utility power generating plants. Past
and current laboratory commissioning projects include CDC's buildings
103, 18, and 110 and University of Missouri's Regional Biocontainment
Laboratory.
John has provided educational presentations for 7X24 Exchange,
National Association of State Facilitators (NASFA) and the Data
Center Journal.
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