Building Commissioning

VERTEX provides building system commissioning services for new construction and retro-commissioning for existing buildings, helping owners achieve high building performance and low operating costs with their assets.

Building Commissioning (Cx) is the process to verify that a building’s systems operate as designed and that the owner’s lifecycle costs and efficiency strategies are met.

For construction, having building commissioning professionals on the team is quickly becoming a best practice among developers. One reason is in a typical construction project at least 25% of the systems get installed and implemented during the final ten percent of the project’s construction time. Without thorough testing of building systems, it is hard to tell if everything is working correctly. When it doesn’t, the owners and operators could spend months troubleshooting without meeting their performance and budget goals.

Commissioning professionals help solve that challenge and bring a range of benefits. engineers have peace of mind that their designs meet the owner’s needs, contractors are assured systems are installed correctly, and owners & operators, and occupants enjoy the long-term benefits of a well-balanced and efficient building.

VERTEX commissioning consultants bring a wealth of experience in building types and building systems, including HVAC, steam, compressed air, domestic water, and building automation systems (BAS).

Building Commissioning (Cx) for New Construction

VERTEX’s Commissioning team integrates closely with project stakeholders, designers, and contractors from the beginning of the project through its occupancy. As partners with the owner, our professionals work to verify that the design meets the owner’s requirements, the building systems are installed correctly, and their performance is optimized. This helps create a healthy, comfortable environment for its residents and visitors.

During pre-construction our team assists in the development of the Basis of Design (BOD) and Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR). Our team also reviews design documents, construction documents, contracts, and submittals to assure that they align with the BOD/OPR. During construction, our Cx professionals verify the system performance, then develop the documentation and manuals for operations and maintenance personnel.  After occupancy, our team also provides further testing to develop reports for the owner’s needs, such as achieving sustainability certifications.

Re- and Retro-Commissioning (RCx) for Existing Buildings

For owners wanting to take advantage of new technologies and make performance enhancements VERTEX provides in-depth evaluations on existing facilities’ systems, whether or not it has been commissioned before. From inspecting existing equipment to reviewing maintenance records and operating procedures, our Cx professionals identify performance gaps, optimize existing systems, and advise the owner and operator team with actionable strategies and measures that have solid rates of return.

The benefits of commissioning existing buildings include lower operating costs, higher energy efficiencies, and an improved healthy environment for inhabitants.

BUILDING SAFETY

VERTEX’s team of engineers provides clients with building safety assessment services for acquisition, management, and disposition planning. These services include Process Safety Consulting, Life Safety and Egress Analysis, Egress and Exiting Design, PFAS Foam Retrofit Consulting, Engineered Life Safety Systems (ELSS), Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES), Investigational Inspection and Testing Services and more.