Commissioning, testing and witnessing the services installation

Commissioning the services installation for a building can take between three and six months depending on the complexity of the installation. It is a process that must be carefully considered to ensure that the equipment is satisfactory for its intended use. In some instances it will be necessary to undertake a number of tests – for instance, an initial test to ensure that the individual piece of equipment is satisfactory and then a further test once the whole installation is complete. This latter test may take the form of an operational readiness period, during which the services are run in their final installed state in order to demonstrate compliance. In any event, for commissioning to be successful it needs to follow a consistent process. The list below gives a general guide to a successful outcome when commissioning specific equipment.

1. Check the documentation: Make sure that all the relevant manuals and instructions are available. Check that everything that is mentioned in the documentation is available and functioning on the equipment.
2. Prepare the equipment for use: Carry out any relevant ‘warm-up’ processes. Allow the equipment to go through any built-in self-check or -test programmes on start-up.
3. Undertake safety tests: Ensure that all electrical equipment is tested for adequate insulation and earth connections. Consider mechanical-safety aspects, visually inspect the equipment and study drawings.
4. Initial calibration: Adjust the equipment to prevailing conditions, climate, electricity supply and altitude, so that the readings are true.
5. Calibration: Ensure that the equipment is set to provide dependable and accurate results – for instance, set room thermostats to achieve appropriate temperatures.
6. Function tests: Run the manufacturers’ recommended methods and protocols, ensuring that the results are acceptable. If possible, process a few control samples of known value to make sure that the equipment is functioning properly.
7. Record the results: Keep records of all results in the Health and Safety File. Complete an acceptance log sheet when the work has been completed satisfactorily and all tests have been passed.

Inspecting the construction work for quality compliance

As the building approaches handover, the contractor will offer up areas of work for final inspection. If the quality of building work has been regularly examined throughout construction, then this is likely to hold few surprises. None the less, it is important that this final inspection is carried out in a systematic way, as Practical Completion can only be achieved when the building is reasonably free from defects.

First impressions are useful in establishing if the building is ready for its final inspection. Take a moment to consider if all the building work has been completed. If there are any omissions, then defer the inspection. Do not be persuaded to inspect incomplete work; it will only have to be done again when finished. Check that all the fittings in each room have been provided and are working properly. Compare the accommodation to your room data sheets prepared during Stages 2–4. Consider the temperature of the room, and whether it is presented at an appropriate temperature. Once you have established that the space is ready for inspection, commence in a structured way, starting in one corner and working your way around the room. Open all the windows, examine the finishes for blemishes and marks; remember, at this stage the building should be presented in pristine condition.

The design team should complete their final inspection and then discuss any areas of concern with the contractor. Ideally the rectification of any defects should be completed before handover, but this is not always possible – particularly if the defective part is a manufactured component with a fabrication lead-in time. If this is the case, the design team will need to decide if the building can function effectively with the defect in place after Practical Completion. If not, then a non-completion notice will need to be completed by the contract administrator and a close-out programme agreed with the contractor. If, in the opinion of the contract administrator, the building can adequately be occupied, the defect is appended to the Practical Completion Certificate. In this instance, it is critical to agree the programme for the rectification of defects with the contractor prior to signing the Practical Completion Certificate. It will also be necessary to agree entry times and levels of disruption to be anticipated by the client/users of the building.

What is on the agenda at the pre-handover meeting?

Prior to the actual handover, it is best practice to hold a pre-handover meeting to ensure that all will go smoothly at the handover. This meeting is best held two weeks prior to handover, and the following areas should be covered:

• Health and Safety Manual: This should have been handed over to the health and safety advisor two weeks before completion. The meeting is an opportunity to discuss with the contractor any missing information.
• Maintenance manuals: Again, if these are prepared early for the design team and client to review, this is an opportunity to discuss any gaps in the information.
• ‘As-constructed’ Information: Review status and agree final content.
• Close-out timings and protocols: Agree with the contractor when areas will be available for inspection, who will be in attendance and what tests will be carried out in the last two weeks.
• Areas where work is unsatisfactory: Highlight any concerns that may impact on the handover of the building in order to give the contractor the opportunity to address them before handover day.
• Contractual matters: Review outstanding variation orders and instructions. Ensure that valuations are up to date, and everything is in place to prepare the handover account.
• Site issues: Discuss the removal of site accommodation; welfare facilities; site security, if the hoarding is to come down; services connections; and any temporary services required.
• Client issues: Agree with the client their intentions post-handover, particularly if there is going to be a follow-on fit-out contract. Ensure that the contractor understands the next steps, so that the building is handed over in a suitable condition.

Issuing the Practical Completion Certificate

Once all the works described in the contract have been carried out, the contract administrator issues the Practical Completion Certificate. Depending on the type of contract, this has the effect of:

• Ending the contractor’s liability for liquidated damages.
• Releasing half of the money that was retained from the contractor at each evaluation – usually 1.5% of the value of the works, with the remaining 1.5% reserved until final certification in 12 months’ time.
• Signifying the commencement of the rectification period. This is not a period during which the contractor can finish the works or correct problems apparent at Practical Completion. It is a period in which the contractor could be called back to rectify any defects that appear once the building is occupied.
• Releasing the contractor from any performance bond taken out on the project.
• If a construction management contract, then a separate Practical Completion Certificate could be required for each package of work. This can complicate the rectification period as some of the work, whilst being practically complete, may not be able to be used until the building is complete. This latter date is when the 12-month rectification period should run from, and this should be agreed with the package contractors at tender stage.

What happens at the formal handover meeting?

The formal handover meeting is to be attended by the contract administrator, the client (or their representative), the people who will be responsible for the maintenance of the building, the design team and the contractor. Depending on the scale of the project, it is wise to allow a whole day for the proceedings.

The meeting is generally preceded by a walk around the site in order to confirm that everything is clean and tidy. A suggested format for the meeting is as follows:

• The design team should confirm that the building is ready for occupation by the client. If there are any outstanding items, they should confirm that these are of a minor nature, and that there is an agreed list of them with the contractor and an agreed programme for completion. If these items are many, or of significance, then the handover will have to be deferred.
• The contractor confirms that Building Control inspectors have made their final inspection, and a completion certificate has been issued.
• The contractor confirms that all statutory inspections and approvals have been satisfactorily completed.
• The contractor confirms that all tests have been satisfactorily completed, witnessed and certified.
• The design team undertake a final inspection of the key building documents, handed over by the contractor, to enable the client to run the building. These will include:
  • ~ The Health and Safety File: This must contain information about the structure and materials in the building – and in particular, any effect that they may have on anyone cleaning, maintaining, altering or demolishing part or all of the building.
  • ~ The Operation and Maintenance Manuals: These should contain As-Constructed drawings, recording construction and indicating the routes of all services installed. Copies of manufacturers’ current literature should be included for all products, including recommendations for cleaning and maintenance. A directory of all subcontractors, suppliers and manufacturers should be included, along with copies of test certificates and reports, guarantees, warranties and any maintenance agreements.
  • ~ A User Guide to the building: The client is to confirm that they understand how the building is intended to operate, and that their maintenance team have received appropriate training.

• Agreement is reached on methods of future access to the site and procedures to be followed after Practical Completion.
• Procedures are also established for agreeing the end of the rectification period and issuing the Final Certificate.

Following satisfactory completion of the handover meeting, a Practical Completion Certificate can be issued. At this stage, there are a number of other matters to conclude:

• The keys to the building are to be handed to the client.
• Meter readings are to be taken of all utilities.
• The client takes over responsibility for insuring the building.
• The final account is settled with the contractor.

It is also wise to complete a full photographic record of the completed building, together with any marketing or publicity images that may be beneficial.

Providing a collateral warranty

The contract administrator should make sure that all the appointment documents are completed before the building is signed off. The contract for both the contractor and the design team will have been completed at the start of their commissions. If within those documents collateral warranties were requested, then they could be actioned following Practical Completion. A warranty conveys to other interested parties, who are not in direct contract, some or all of the contractual rights existing between the client employer and the contractor or consultant. This category may include a future owner of the building, an institutional investor or an occupant of the building. There is no obligation to provide warranties that were not requested in the original contract documents.

Using ‘Soft Landings’ to ensure a smooth handover from construction to occupation

The transition from construction to occupation can be a difficult period. The contractor will be focusing on completing construction in order to avoid any penalties associated with a delay. The design team will generally be concerned with establishing that everything is built correctly, and they will be producing the ‘As-constructed’ Information. The client will generally be enthusiastic to take possession of the building and commence occupation. In order to assist with a smooth transition a framework for the approach to handing over a building to a client has been developed by the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) and the Usable Buildings Trust. This framework is called Soft Landings, and it covers five key points that need to be addressed at various stages of the RIBA Plan of Work 2013:

• Stage 1: Ensure that the clients’ needs and required outcomes are clearly defined.
• Stages 2 and 3: Review comparable projects and assess proposals in relation to facilities management and building users.
• Stage 5: Ensure that the maintenance team and operators know how the building works before occupation. Compile the Building User Guide.
• Stage 6: Station a team on site to receive feedback as the building comes into use. Fine-tune the systems and ensure optimum operation.
• Stage 7: Extended aftercare allows any outstanding issue to be resolved and feedback obtained for future projects.

The key activity at Stage 6 Handover and Close Out is to help the client achieve optimum performance from the building. It may involve design team members being on site for a number of weeks before and after Practical Completion. It may also involve using the Building Information Model to assist in calibrating the services operating in the building. This is an additional duty for members of the design team, and this aspect of a Handover Strategy should be raised with the client at the outset when fees are being agreed at Stage 1.

Completing an energy assessment on completion of the building

It is best practice for all buildings to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) on completion; for some buildings, such as new residential projects, it is mandatory. The minimum information that should be provided on the certificate includes:

• The asset rating of the building.
• A reference value or benchmark.
• A recommendation for improvements, unless there is no reasonable potential for these.
• The reference number and address of the building.
• The total usable floor area.
• The date it was issued; EPCs generally last 10 years.

A further final energy assessment may be required if other performance standards such as BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) were used during design, in order to establish the building’s performance. BREEAM addresses the sustainability issues that arise in new construction by examining the following nine categories: management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, and pollution. Within these categories, issues such as acoustic performance and the responsible sourcing of materials are considered. At the end of the project it is possible to replace the assumed design assessment with the real conditions, and create a robust post-occupancy evaluation score for the building.

What kind of feedback should be obtained?

The most useful feedback is that which covers qualitative, commercial and technical responses to the building. The following list gives a guide to the topics that should be considered.

Closing down the project in the office

Once the building is completed and before the design team is disbanded, it is good practice to document the project for future reference. There are a number of things to consider.

Conducting a final inspection

Throughout the rectification period, the contractor may have attended the site to correct any defects found in the works. These should be signed off by the design team as they are completed. Once the end of the rectification period is reached, a final inspection of the works should be undertaken. It is important at this point that there are no further items of work for the contractor to complete. The signing of the Final Certificate has the effect of releasing the remaining retention money to the contractor.

Obtaining feedback on your own performance

At the end of every project, there is an opportunity to gain two distinct types of feedback.

The first is about your performance as an architect. Consider sending a questionnaire to your client, the contractor and the rest of the design team. After the completion of a number of questionnaires, you will be able to set a benchmark for your activities and your average score. By keeping good records, you will be able to demonstrate to future clients what others think of your performance. You may also wish to conduct this type of feedback questionnaire face to face with some of the team, so that you can identify those areas where improvements can be made (see Figure 5.1).

The green line on the chart shows the actual scores for a project completed by a client.

5.1 A simple client feedback questionnaire on an architect’s performance.

• The space between the blue and red line is the target area that the firm is trying to achieve to represent a quality service.
• The architects are considered to be marginally expensive by the client and also to have provided an expensive solution. This should be examined by the architect in reference to their own database and others, such as the RIBA Annual Performance Survey.
• The architects are considered to be extremely professional and outstanding ‘team players’.

5.2 A spider diagram recording feedback on a building’s performance.

The second type of feedback is related more to the design solution provided by the project team. It can examine numerous different attributes of the building, depending on what is important to the client. This is a way to capture the main drivers for a project – quality, cost and value, predictability and efficiency. It is a complex matrix, and the questions need to be considered carefully in order to produce meaningful results.

A Small residential extension for a growing family

Prior to the handover meeting, a final inspection of the works is undertaken by the architect. The works are complete and to a satisfactory standard. The handover meeting takes place, and the client is guided through the operation of the equipment installed in the extension. The Practical Completion Certificate is issued, and half of the retention monies released.

The architect takes a photographic survey of the completed building for their records. The contractor removes the temporary partition separating the extension form the rest of the house allowing the famility to move in and agrees the final account with the architect in his role as contract administrator.

After four weeks, the architect visits the client to check that everything is working as expected and to get some initial feedback on the performance of the building. It is working better than everyone expected.

B Development of five new homes for a small residential developer

Due to the nature of the project there is no comprehensive Handover Strategy and the houses are handed over to the developer at practical completion together with the keys and the final meter readings of all the utilities. The developer insures the buildings until they have completed the sale of them all and passed them on to the new owners. The contractor remains on site to work systematically through the rectification list, with a view to completing the items in five weeks. The design team return to site for an additional final inspection once the works are complete.

C Refurbishment of a teaching and support building for a university

The building reaches Practical Completion, and the novated design team issue a collateral warranty in favour of the university. Because the design team only had a limited involvement with the site works, their ‘As-constructed’ Information is issued as record drawings of their tender information to the contractor, who updates them with information from their specialist suppliers before issuing them in their Health and Safety File.

The design team agree with the client that they can return for feedback throughout the rectification period, to obtain useful information on the performance of their design. There is no direct commission for this work, so the design team must agree a retainer with the university.

D New central library for a small unitary authority

The client’s design team are retained for four weeks by the local authority to assist with ensuring that the building is set up correctly for use. In particular, the mechanical engineer is based on site to balance the Building Management System (BMS) and ensure that the BIM model is working in collaboration with the BMS.

The client completes the book stacking during the four-week operational readiness period, and uses this time to learn how the building is supposed to work. The architect visits site regularly to brief the staff on the proposed operation of the building.

The contractor’s design team issue collateral warranties to the client for the work they have completed.

E New headquarters office for high-tech internet-based company

The client accepts the building from the management contractor, and commences the move from their old offices. The design team take a full photographic record of the building at the point of Practical Completion, and issue these along with their ‘As-constructed’ information including drawings and models. These are subsequently used to settle a dispute over damage created by the removal company installing the furniture in the new offices.

The internet company’s maintenance team hold a series of workshops with the design team in order to understand how the building works. The targets for the building’s performance in use are explained, and the architect and services engineer are commissioned to undertake regular reviews of the building’s performance in use. The first report is due after three months’ operation, together with a rebalancing exercise on the BMS.