The Northeastern University Facilities Commissioning Department is committed to identify each potential project and determine the appropriate level of commissioning required.  Ideally, the Commissioning dept. is notified of a project early on in the project phase.  This could be as early as the planning and feasibility study or once the project is assigned to a project manager.  Based on the level of complexity and affected systems, the Commissioning dept. will determine the level of commissioning required.  Once the level of commissioning is determined, the university will either utilize in house resources or issue a Request for Proposal for commissioning services to qualified third party commissioning agents.  Northeastern University’s commissioning dept. has pre-determined that every project shall conform to one of six categories of commissioning effort and the level of commissioning shall be determined by the Director of Commissioning prior to the start of the commissioning effort.

The Commissioning Agent (CxA) is an integral member of the project team. Based on project schedule, scope and availability, a Commissioning agent could be assigned any time within the design phase or while the project is in construction, during the design phase is always intended, most valuable and required on a project seeking LEED certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).  One of the CxA’s main objective is to ensure all MEP/FP systems within the project scope are designed, installed and perform as intended.  Proper system operation and functionality is accomplished through the development and use of an effective Commissioning Plan.  The Commissioning Plan can include the commissioning goals and objectives, general project information, scope of commissioning efforts, project roles and responsibilities, the project directory, communication protocol and the schedule of commissioning activities with their respective approach.  It will include functional testing procedures, staff training as well as comprehensive pre-functional and functional performance testing criteria of the newly installed equipment.  Once the systems are deemed to be constructed and functioning per the design documents, the Commissioning agent will schedule systems training for the Northeastern University trade personnel. 

The training effort is coordinated and led by the commissioning agent.  This system training is conducted by manufacturers’ representatives, contractors and/or system designers where they are training on new methods for optimizing system performance so that efficient design can be carried through to efficient performance and maintenance.  Once the project is determined to be substantially complete, the CxA will review the Operations & Maintenance Manuals and As-Built documentation for completeness and develop a Final Commissioning Report.  The Northeastern University Trade Operations will receive a copy of the Operations & Maintenance Manuals and As-Built drawings to help maintain the newly installed systems.

Complying with the Northeastern University Architectural/MEP/FP Design Standards to reflect desired building technology and operational sequences for all university construction projects.  Attending design review meetings to ensure university standards are followed during design development.

Updating the Commissioning Plan to include the construction team members, various Commissioning forms used throughout the construction phase and outline the Commissioning process through this phase.  Additionally, all MEP/FP systems will be checked for proper installation, control and balance in preparation for Functional Performance Testing and Training, while identifying and ensuring any installation deficiencies or issues found are corrected promptly.

Commissioning activities during the Post Construction phase include collecting accurate applicable O&M manuals and As-Builts, coordinating and witnessing adequate system training for the NU Facility Trades staff and ensuring all issues that have been identified during construction and Functional Performance Testing are addressed and closed out.  A 10-12 month warranty review also takes place during this phase.  This review revisits the project 10-12 months after substantial completion to review any issues that have arisen during this time frame.  The review concludes with an assigned corrective action plan to the applicable contractors to address.

Capital Project Design Guidelines
These guidelines are a resource for managers, architects, engineers, and contractors working on Northeastern University construction and renovation projects to convey the technical requirements and standards for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing.