Commissioning and Acceptance Testing - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 282

Table 23-1. Typical contents of a commissioning plan
Introduction
Objectives
Description of Facilities
Commissioning Tasks (with a breakdown of commissioning packages for equipment and
subsystems)
Schedule
Appendices (usually drawings that show package delineations, any safety requirements)
Once the packages are defined, commissioning checklists can be developed. These
checklists include the activities that will be required for each type of equipment prior
to being put into service. A checklist should be developed for each type of component
and should identify special needs, such as temporary air supplies or power, that may be
required for commissioning.
It is also recommended that the equipment and systems that will require factory
acceptance testing (FAT) be identified, and if special tests are required by contract, they
should be incorporated into the procurement packages for equipment. If equipment is
skid mounted, FAT saves time and verifies quality. These allow the commissioning team
to focus their efforts on the loose-installed equipment on-site.
Another useful tool is conformance flowcharts, which are visual representations of
the relationships required to complete the project. As precursors to detailed commission-
ing and acceptance testing schedules, conformance flowcharts illustrate the path through
the contractual requirements for construction completion, commissioning, acceptance
testing, substantial completion, and final completion. These charts also can identify criti-
cal interfaces for the final turnover of the facility to the owner.
Commissioning schedule. When construction begins, the commissioning team
should focus on providing additional detail to the commissioning package sequence,
including detailed requirements and interfaces with the overall project schedule.
Depending on the complexity of the project, the combination of commissioning
packages and checklists can be used to develop a detailed commissioning schedule, with
the checklists serving as the basis for the schedule. It is critical that the dates for the
turnover of each package from construction to commissioning be incorporated into the
project schedule. The handover of each package will require close coordination and com-
munication. Missing or incomplete portions of a package can quickly bring the commis-
sioning effort to a halt.
One of the key benefits of developing a detailed schedule for commissioning and inte-
grating commissioning activities into the overall project schedule is the ability to include
commissioning activities in the identification of the critical path. Commissioning is often
a time with little or no available float to handle unscheduled delays. Without understand-
ing the critical path, a simple repair or replacement of a failed component could hinder
an entire commissioning effort. Once the critical path is identified, issues that arise and
impact the critical path can be identified as a top priority.