Jim Vallort, LEED AP, CBCP; and Bob Weber, PE, Environmental Systems Design,

Commissioning mission critical systems

The 24/7/365 nature of a mission critical facility makes its commissioning (Cx) unique. With an abundance of redundant systems and a zero tolerance for downtime, a data center's MEP infrastructure requires careful commissioning practice, which can be more expensive than commissioning less complex facilities. Because of this complexity, increasing scrutiny of budgets, and ever-tightening schedules, gaps in commissioning can occur that lead to larger, more expensive problems down the road. However, by defining commissioning roles early, integrating schedule coordination, completing peer review, and employing simulation and demonstration methodology, commissioning can be a cost-effective ally for delivering data centers on time and within budget. This article outlines some of the strategies that we have been successfully employing on data center and mission critical projects. Project scope From project to project, the commissioning scope involves verification and documentation, including factory witness, field acceptance, and integrated systems testing.