Navigating Hospital Expansion: From Vision to Reality

Commissioning

Ensuring all equipment and systems operate as designed and at optimal performance

Fire Smoke Dampers: For any equipment setup, there are several efforts that require coordination for a successful installation. For example, a fire smoke damper needs to be initially installed, then the electrician wires the power, then the controls contractor ties it into the Building Automation System (BAS), then the fire alarm contractor ties it into their system, then the TAB contractor and Cx agent test and validate the equipment is open and working. Communication between teams is critical otherwise problems can arise such as the contractor stating it’s open, but when visually inspected, it was closed. Or the fire alarm contractor connected their wires and closed it. Clear and open communication between teams will alleviate minor frustrations with installation details.

Clear and open communication between teams will alleviate minor frustrations with installation details.

Equipment Inspection and Installation: The owner utilized a tiered system for air handling units based on the areas served. Tier-3 Air Handling Units (the highest tier AHUs) required specific installation requirements per project specifications. When the AHUs were delivered on site, Synergy’s Cx agent discovered deficiencies in manufacturing requirements; namely the interior seals were required to be welded, not caulked. Any major equipment should be inspected on site with specs in hand and reviewed with a fine-tooth comb. This attention to detail averted a potential equipment performance issue as well as a change order for corrections.

Ductwork: While the team was working to complete the graphics for the BAS, the AHUs were shutting down via safety switch due to pressures. The construction crew, along with Synergy, met to brainstorm to identify the problem. Commissioning sometimes entails stepping onto a ladder and getting eyes inside the duct work. It was this visual test that revealed a metal cap installed for duct pressure testing causing the shutdown. The cap should’ve been removed during construction but was missed.

Data Analytics

Confirming Equipment Performance

Building Data Analytics is a win every time. It’s been said that “Data doesn’t lie.” During this project, data analytics proved to be a powerful resource that confirmed equipment performance. Building Data Analytics is a win every time. A few examples of client successes:

• The Energy Recovery Units (ERU) cores were suspected to be degrading over time. The data extracted from the equipment confirmed this to be true. This equipment from the manufacturer was also operated improperly. The Controls Contractor did not review the drawings and programmed an incorrect sequence of operations. Data revealed this error which in turn has saved months of troubleshooting building performance issues and has helped the owner hold the design and construction team responsible for providing a product that meets the OPR.
• Testing air terminal units and reheat valves can take weeks on a hospital of this size. Within 24 hours of turning on data analytics, Synergy provided a list of over 100 issues for the controls contractor to correct.
• When the Plant Operations team set the condenser water supply temperature to 75F because they didn’t like a sound from the chillers, analytics flagged this change and allowed Synergy to work with the team to show them that the chillers were designed to work more efficiently at a lower condenser water temperature and that this noise was not a sign of a problem. This will save the client a significant amount of money in energy.

Lessons Learned

Carrying the TAB (Testing and Balancing) Contractor: At the request of the hospital Owner, Synergy carried the TAB contract to remove any conflict of interest between the General Contractor and the mechanical contractor who typically subcontracts the TAB Contractor. As the impartial third party Cx agent, it was in Synergy’s best interest to ensure the testing and balancing was done correctly so the functional testing would be precise. Synergy held the TAB and construction sub-contractors accountable with ongoing meetings to coordinate schedules. After several construction delays, it was apparent that equipment was not ready to be tested, despite the construction team’s assurance that their installations were complete. This severely impacted the project schedule to which Synergy alerted the Owner. For future best practice, it is imperative to verify equipment readiness from all parties, not merely statements from the construction team.

Building Automation System (BAS) Graphics: BAS Graphics are a powerful tool that facility managers utilize to view their building’s equipment. In a single dashboard, they can scrutinize the air flow, temperatures, speed, water flow, and all other pertinent equipment data. The best practice for BAS coordination is to aid communication between the BAS contractor and Owner near the end of the design phase, not during construction phase. It is paramount to discover what the Owner’s expectations are for graphics and how the commissioning team can ensure its completion. If the BAS contractor is not directed with clear instructions on how the BAS is to be organized according to the OPR, the results will miss the mark. According to the BCxA, this is an industry-wide issue as the “BAS is the most touched component of the mechanical system” and should be commissioned with the same intentionality as with all other systems. 

If the BAS Cx is problematic, it could provide delayed functional testing and negatively impact the construction schedule. Similarly, poor BAS graphic collaboration can lead to confusion on the Operations side when the owner takes over the building. A lesson learned with this project was to ensure BAS graphic expectations are clearly outlined at the design phase to avoid not being completed on time. Also, outsourcing BAS graphics may save money, but it is imperative the graphics programmers are familiar with MEP assets.

For future best practice, it is imperative to verify equipment readiness from all parties, not merely statements from the construction team.

Fire Compartments: Commissioning during design is vital during design review, especially for fire compartments. The electrical circuiting designed for the fire compartment was not separated out by department or zone. If the circuit feeding fire dampers is turned off or overloaded and trips, it can shut down large sections of the building. Limiting the amount impact that any one circuit can have on the building will increase reliability and simplify ongoing maintenance.

Complicated HVAC Systems: With ESG and NetZero goals, it is noble to design a new facility with energy reduction in mind. However, complicated HVAC systems sold with promises to meet energy efficiency goals require experienced personnel who can navigate the nuances of a complex system. The system selected for this expansion hospital had energy recovery ventilators paired with multiple air handling units, each serving different space types. Existing facility team members were unfamiliar with this design and extensive training was needed to train and demonstrate on the co-dependencies between ERVs and AHUs. Purchasing complicated equipment is not always the best solution to reduce energy, especially when the systems are prone to frequent maintenance that will take down additional AHUs with them in the process. These complicated systems were the cause of several delays and ongoing problems. 

Purchasing complicated equipment is not always the best solution to reduce energy, especially when the systems are prone to frequent maintenance that will take down additional AHUs with them in the process.

Facility Team Training: Synergy’s Cx team spent 2 ½ years deeply entrenched in learning the facility during construction. They were present when complexities of each asset were installed and were in attendance during performance and functional testing. Helping the new hospital’s facility team absorb the building’s vast requirements demands more time than simply handing over the keys to the building. Synergy’s team ensured the new Facility Team was included on every part of the Commissioning process in order to walk alongside them and translate all asset information for training. Ideally, Owners would involve facility teams during design and construction to receive their input and get their eyes on the equipment prior to occupancy.

Conclusion

Overall, Synergy’s engagement with the new expansion hospital provided invaluable lessons gleaned from grappling with complex AHUs and intricate HVAC systems. Despite encountering challenges along the way, Synergy’s building commissioning process proved instrumental in identifying and rectifying numerous issues at an early stage with data analytics as a powerful ally in validating building equipment performance. Through perseverance and a commitment to excellence, this project exemplifies the importance of thorough commissioning, while validating the OPR, in mitigating risks and optimizing the performance of healthcare infrastructure.

Through perseverance and a commitment to excellence, the project exemplifies the importance of thorough commissioning, while validating the OPR

Expansion Hospital Case Study_FINAL