building envelope commissioning what is it and why is it important

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Building Enclosure Commissioning What is it and why is it important?

John A. Runkle P.E.

Vice President – Building Sciences

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Program Outline

Building Enclosure Commissioning Overview

BECx Drivers

BECx Process

BECx Value

Presentation 50 Minutes with 10 Minutes Q&A 1

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Defining Enclosure Commissioning

WH-ETL Mark

Definition: Process that verifies enclosure

performance against the Owner’s Project

Requirements (OPR) and Basis of Design

(BOD)

• BECx standards:

– ASTM E2318

– CSA Z 320

– ASHRAE 202

– VDI 6055

Formalization of building envelope

consulting practice

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Compliance

Plan

Development

Test Plan

& Project

Management

Testing Data Collection

& Interpretation

Prepare Submittal

Packages

Data Usage Programming /

Design Review

Mock Up Functional

Building

Building

Performance

Validation

Product

Project

Certification

Services

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Whole Building

Commissioning

Electrical

Building

Envelope

Whole Building Commissioning

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Field Testing

Acoustics

Blast

Engineering

Durability

Building Sciences

Calibration

Code Compliance

Mock-up

IAQ

Thermal

Structural

Systems

Solar

Safety Glazing

Roofing

Product Testing

Materials

Insulating Glass

Fire

BECx

BECx - Sub Disciplines

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History

2006:

NIBS Guideline 3-2006

Exterior Enclosure

Technical Requirements

For the Commissioning Process

This Guideline is for Use with

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005:

The Commissioning Process

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History

2007:

US Army Corps of Engineers

Air barrier material air permeance not to exceed

0.004 cfm/ft2 at 0.3” wg (1.57 psf) (0.02 L/sm2 @

75 Pa)

Whole building’s air leakage rate must not

exceed 1.25 L/sm2 @ 75 Pa (0.25 cfm/ft2 at 1.57

psf) when tested according to ASTM E779

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ASTM E 2813

Published last spring

1st U.S. Building Envelope Commissioning Standard

Comprehensive process that includes a Pre-Construction Phase

Independence of Commissioning agent from the design and construction teams

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Credit – Department of Municipal Affairs

10x Leakier

than U.S. and

Canadian

Standards

ADIECC 2012

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Material Air Leakage - ASTM E 2178

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No assembly

requirements

ADIECC 2012

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Post Applied Brick Ties

Assembly Air Leakage - ASTM E 2357

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Same as U.S.

and Canadian

Standards

ADIECC 2012

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Whole Building Air Leakage - ASTM E 779

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10x Leakier

than U.S. and

Canadian

Standards

ADIECC 2012

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Material Air Leakage - ASTM E 2178

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No assembly

requirements

ADIECC 2012

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Post Applied Brick Ties

Assembly Air Leakage - ASTM E 2357

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Same as U.S.

and Canadian

Standards

ADIECC 2012

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Whole Building Air Leakage - ASTM E 779

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Pearls Building Rating System

Credit – Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council – Estidama – PBRS - PORS

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Program Outline


BECx Drivers

BECx Process

BECx Value

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Why Commissioning?

Create durable structures

Save energy

Improve indoor air quality

Prevent leakage

Increase occupant comfort

To deliver a building that works

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b

You would think two sealants

made by the same MFG would not

turn color.

Clear silicone turns yellow

when exposed to light. White

turns yellow when exposed to

clear!

Material Compatibility

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b

Example of staining due to leading

edge of asphaltic membrane

touching the sealant.

Installer was warned to hold back

the leading edge and ignored it.

Material Compatibility

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Why Commissioning?


Save energy


Prevent leakage



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Energy & Building Envelopes

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Solar Heat

Gain

SHGC

Transmittance

Reflectance

Absorbtance

Emittance

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Window:Wall

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Thermal Discontinuities

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$ $

$ $

Orifice Leaks

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Channel Leaks

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Flow Leaks

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Diffusion

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HVAC or Envelope?

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TABLE 2. AIR TIGHTNESS STANDARDS COMPARISON

(FOR A FOUR-STORY BUILDING, 120 x 110Ft., N=0.65)

Country Source Requirement* Cfm/sq.ft.

at 75 Pa.

U.S. ASHRAE 189.1-2009 0.40

UK TS-1 Commercial Best Practice 5 m3/h/m2 at 50 Pa. 0.36

U.S. LEED 1.25 sq. in. EqLA @ 4 Pa. /

100 sq. ft.

0.30

Germany DIN 4108-2 1.5 1/h at 50 Pa. 0.28

UK TS-1 Commercial Tight 2 m3/h/m2 at 50 Pa. 0.14

Canada R-2000 1 sq. in. EqLA @10 Pa.

/100 sq. ft.

0.13

Germany Passive House Std 0.6 1/h at 50 Pa. 0.11

*USACE requirement is 0.25 cfm/sq. ft. at 75 Pa.

Credit: Journal of Building

Enclosure Design Summer

2011 “Improvement of Air

Tightness in U.S. Army

Buildings” pgs. 11-13

Air Leakage Rates

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Credit: Journal of Building Enclosure Design Summer 2011 “Improvement of Air Tightness in U.S. Army

Buildings” pgs. 11-13

Energy Usage vs Air Leakage

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Oak Ridge National Lab - Study

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Oak Ridge National Lab - Study

Finding relating to energy modeling and air leakage:

Current modeling software, such as Energy Plus, doesn’t do

a good job at accounting for energy loses due to air leakage.

• Calculations are based on conductive losses that show

smaller temperature changes than the rapid temperature

changes due to air leakage.

• There is no interactive term within simulation tools and the

magnitude of this term is currently unknown.

Current models appear to underestimate the energy loss due

to air leakage.

Past studies focus on lower R-value walls (minimizes energy

loss due to leakage compared to higher R-values).

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Why Commissioning?


Save energy


Prevent leakage



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Why Commissioning?


Save energy


Prevent leakage



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Building Requirements

Buildings are

designed to protect

the inhabitants from

environmental

conditions

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Why Commissioning?


Save energy


Prevent leakage



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Shading

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Why Commissioning?


Save energy


Prevent leakage



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Case Study

Building No. 1

Building No. 2

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Case Study

Whole Building Air Tightness Testing

Building No. 1 (Existing): @ 75 PA = 0.70 - 0.90 cfm/ft²

Building No. 2 (New Construction): @ 75 PA = 0.34 – 0.35 cfm/ft²

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Pos Neg

Bldg No.1

Bldg No.2

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Multi-Agency State

Office Building

Dixie State Holland

Centennial Commons

Total Building Area (SF) 267,000 SF 177,000 SF

Total Envelope Area (SF) 227,700 SF 165,168 SF

Building envelope with Air Barrier 33,250 SF 40,000 SF

Air Barrier Type Membrane Fluid Applied

Total Construction Costs $45,600,000 $31,000,000

Air Barrier Construction Costs $292,500 $136,600

Air Barrier Cost/SF with Air Barrier $2.50 $3.79

A/E Envelope Design Costs 0% 2.5%

Envelope Commissioning Costs $0 $49,200

Envelope Testing Costs $5,000 $51,700

Leakage Rate (CFM/SF @ 0.05 WC) 0.20 0.027

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Program Outline


BECx Drivers

BECx Process

BECx Value

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BECx Process

Programming

Pre-Design

Design

Pre-Construction

Construction

Operations & Maintenance

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Energy Modeling & BECx

Energy modeling influences design

Modeling is performed in programing phase

Used to validate design and evaluation options

Scope of analysis is beyond MEP

Traditionally performed by MEP professionals

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BECx Process

Programming

Pre-Design

Design

Pre-Construction

Construction


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Pre - Design Phase

Work with Building Owner to develop Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)

Evaluate design concepts against OPR and Architect of Record’s design intent

Basis of Design

Development and acceptance of initial Commissioning Plan

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Successful Design

Achieve environment separation

• Understand the Environment

• Prevent equilibrium

• Understand Barriers/Code Requirements

Meet durability/sustainability requirements

Fulfils desired use

Simple

Redundant

Constructible

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Create Environment Separation

Air Barriers

Drainage Plane

Thermal Blanket

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b

The perimeter seal should form a continuous “picture frame” around the entire frame.

Think about where the perimeter seal is positioned at the head and sill and maintain that line throughout.

Understand the Plane of Air Tightness

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Successful Design

Achieve environment

separation

Meet

durability/sustainability

Fulfils desired use

Simple

Redundant

Constructible

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Successful Design

Achieve environment

separation

Meet

durability/sustainability

requirements

Fulfils desired use

Simple

Redundant

Constructible

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BECx Process

Programming

Pre-Design

Design

Pre-Construction

Construction


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Design Phase

Review design against OPR and BOD

Perform hygrothermal computer modeling (WUFI & Therm)

Review construction sequencing and scheduling

Write BECx and functional performance testing specifications

Draft BECx plan

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Design Reviews

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Detailed, Functional Design

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Detailed, Functional Design

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BECx Process

Programming

Pre-Design

Design

Pre-Construction

Construction


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Pre-Construction - Shop Drawing Review

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ASTME 283


BECx Process

Programming

Pre-Design

Design

Pre-Construction

Construction



BECx

Overview

Pre-Design

Design

Pre-construction

Construction

O&M

Quantitative Field Air Testing


Tracking Non-Compliance


BECx Process

Programming

Pre-Design

Design

Pre-Construction

Construction



Program Outline


BECx Drivers

BECx Process

BECx Value


BECx Value Proposition

Time

Cost Quality

Early Project Learning

-Design / Model Reviews

-Minimize Delays

-Tested Mock-ups

-

Process Pays for Itself

-Minimize Change Orders

-Early Failure Identification

-Reduces Risk/Call Backs

Value Based Service

-Minimize performance Errors

-Verifies Performance

-Focus is on End User Needs


How to Achieve Exceptional Energy Savings


DFCM Case Study – Keys to success


DFCM Case Study – Keys to success

Passionate staff and supportive management

Mandate team work by all parties

Prioritize industry education

Sought expertise from locals and non local

Committed to commissioning

Energy modelling

Testing, metering, and verification

Wrote their own High Performance Building Standard

Enforced the standard


Q & A

Contact:

John Runkle, P.E.

[email protected]

+1 717-495-8286 (Mobile)

Intertek Locations

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

building envelope commissioning what is it and why is it important

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