K-12 Building Commissioning

Erdman Anthony provided commissioning (Cx) services for multiple substantial renovations as part of phases 1A and 1B of the Rochester City School District’s modernization program (RSMP). The schools included in this project were:

• Charlotte High School (125,000 square feet)
• Franklin High School (80,000 square feet)
• School No.5 (102,000 square feet)
• School No.12 (103,000 square feet)

The commissioning process began during the design phase, followed by the construction and acceptance phases, and it concluded with the warranty phase. The basis for delivering Cx services was modeled after the Portland Energy Conservation Inc. (PECI) Model Cx Plan.

The project began with architectural and MEP demolition throughout various areas of the buildings. The second phase of construction included substantial renovations to these areas and installing new finish work, furniture, and various types of HVAC equipment and systems.

The following systems were commissioned:

• HVAC equipment: AHUs, chillers, unit ventilators, fan and blower coil units, finned tube, VAV terminal units, and supply-, return-, and exhaust-air
• Plumbing equipment: chilled-water, hot-water, and steam-and-condensate systems, including distribution
• Electrical: lighting occupancy sensors
• DDC-control system (building management system)

Erdman Anthony’s efforts confirmed that the building systems’ design, installation, and operation conformed to the design intent and the owner’s operational needs. The design-phase commissioning activities included multiple documented design reviews, issuance of commissioning requirements in the contract documents, the development and the issuance of a commissioning plan, and meeting minutes. The construction phase activities included the presentation of a commissioning plan, site observations with reports, a rolling Cx issues log with follow-up and verifications, the issuance of prefunctional checklists, witnessing manufacturer and contractor field tests and startups, development of functional performance test scripts, witnessing functional testing, TAB review, and a review of the operation and maintenance manual. The contractor’s owner training and demonstration also were reviewed to verify the maintenance staff was well versed on the commissioned systems.

At the project’s conclusion, a final Cx report and systems manual were written and delivered to the owner, which outlined the entire commissioning process and included all supporting documentation throughout the project.

Due to our performance on Phase 1, the Rochester City School District selected Erdman Anthony for commissioning services on 12 schools that were for part of Phase 2 of the program. These 12 schools included a greater commissioning scope by involving the fire alarm system, electrical distribution, security and intrusion controls, and districtwide technology.