Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
23
Commissioning and
Acceptance Testing
David Leligdon, PE, DBIA, Black & Veatch Corporation
INTRODUCTION
Commissioning and acceptance tests occur during the transition period between the
completion of construction and the operational life of the plant. In the overall process
of designing and building a WTP or WWTP, the commissioning and acceptance testing
period consumes a small but significant portion of the project. All of the decisions made
during the design and construction phases are tested or verified during commissioning
and acceptance testing. They showcase the culmination of the DB effort and are key mile-
stones for proving to the owner that the project functions as required.
In practice, various terminology, such as d
emonstration testing
and
performance test-
ing
,
is used to describe the activities to prove the function of the plant. For this chap-
ter, the word
commissioning
describes the period of time allotted for the various startup
tests and procedures, as well as the act of verifying the function or equipment or systems
within the plant. Commissioning starts when construction and infrastructure integrity
tests, such as hydrostatic pressure testing of pipe, leak testing of vessels, and continuity
testing of electrical circuits, are complete. Commissioning also includes preliminary tests
of the entire facility for treating water or wastewater. The term
acceptance testing
will be
used to describe both the final water or wastewater process (i.e., chemistry-related or
water quality) tests and plant operational tests (e.g., maximum flow rate) to ensure that the
project meets the contractual obligations. Acceptance tests begin after commissioning.
Both traditional DBB and DB delivery methods have a commissioning and accep-
tance test period, and they are a very important part of the project. Commissioning and
acceptance testing are phases of a project where the differences between DBB and DB
become clear.
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