2012 - IT Infrastructure & Physical Layer Commissioning - the IWCS ...

IT Infrastructure
&
Physical Layer
Commissioning (Cx)
Rick Foster, RCDD TLT
Innovative Engineering Services
November 12, 2012
IES 2012

Today’s Topics
Introduction to the Commissioning “Process”
Market Drivers
Case Study & Economic Considerations
What is IT Commissioning ?
Manufacturer Warranty Programs & Commissioning

Commissioning ?
How much money did I get from that SALE!!!!
Another 15%
“U.S. Navy Ships: Launching and
Commissioning
Launching and commissioning are two milestones in
the construction of a Navy ship.
A ship is launched when it is first put into the water.
At this time the ship is incomplete, and still requires
considerable work to complete it and make it ready
for service. When the ship is fully ready for use by
the Navy, it runs acceptance trials to see if it will
perform according to specifications. When this has
been done to the Navy's satisfaction, and any
discrepancies have been set right, the Navy's
representative signs a paper officially accepting it
from the builder. “
Source – Naval Historical Center

“building commissioning” is the
process for achieving, verifying and
documenting that the performance of the
building and its systems meet the design
intent and the owner and occupant
needs.”
Building Commissioning Guide:
U.S. General Services Administration
U.S. Department of Energy
July 1998

The IT Infrastructure is
not just cable and
connectors !
…all the necessary
physical layer
components that will
effect the operational
efficiency, network
performance and
reliability of the
information system.

IT Infrastructure & Commissioning (Cx)
Application of established commissioning
procedures IT Commissioning to IT Infrastructure (Cx)
requirements
Combination
A quality
of
control
IT expertise
process
and
construction experience
Bridges the gap between IT needs and
architectural specifications

IT Commissioning & Quality Control
Question – To produce a 1,000 feet of
Cat-6 4pr –UTP cable how many quality control
checks take place from raw materials to finished
product?
Answer * – Over 750 or more plus real time
information gathering during manufacturing…….
* Berk-Tek

IT Commissioning & Quality Control
Question – To produce a kilometer of fiber optic
cable how many quality control checks take place
from raw materials to finished product?
Answer * – Multiple inspection and verification
points that assesses hundreds of process and
performance attributes ……
* OFS

IT Commissioning & Quality Control
Question – How many quality control
checks take place from when the cable
reaches the job site to final installation and
testing?
Answer – ???

IT Commissioning & Quality Control

Process of Commissioning
Program Phase & Project Formulation
Design Phase - “Design Intent”
Construction Phase
Acceptance Phase & Construction Close Out
Post – Acceptance Phase

Process of Commissioning
Program Phase & Project Formulation
Identifying the TEAM
Owner
A/E Firm (Architect / Engineer)
Establish “Design Intent”
IT representative
Commissioning Authority
GC or Construction Manager
Approvals
Funding & Budgets
Crucial decisions must be made early

“Design Intent”
Determines the clients
goals and objectives are
met in the design phase
Establishes benchmark
and specifications
Becomes the baseline for
project scope
Mandates acceptance
criteria at the project
inception

The design said conduits for cable !
The furniture was designed with a communication raceway!
“Design Intent ” – Gone Bad

Structural · Mechanical · Electrical · Plumbing · Fire Protection · Technology

Market Drivers
Increased regulatory mandates
Codes & Standards
Service Level Agreements (SLA)
Utility Discounts – reduced kWh $$$
Technology – Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Market Drivers
LEED® initiative & Green Buildings
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)
Included in MasterFormat (Division 27)

Market Drivers
MasterFormat is a standard for
organizing specifications and
other written information for
commercial and institutional
building projects. It is a product of
the Construction Specification
Institute (CSI). It provides a
master list of divisions and
section numbers and titles within
the division to organize
information about construction a
facility.
In 2004 it was expanded to 50
Divisions and Division 27 is the
communications section.

Market Drivers
14 08 00 Commissioning of Conveying Equipment
14 08 10 Commissioning of Dumbwaiters
14 08 20 Commissioning of Elevators
14 08 30 Commissioning of Escalators and Moving Walks
22 08 00 Commissioning of Plumbing
26 08 00 Commissioning of Electrical Systems
27 08 00 Commissioning of Communications
Commissioning is in multiple Divisions

Economics of Commissioning
Change Orders and Request for Information (RFI)
A study documented that a simple RFI could require up
to four staff hours to resolve. This project had 92 RFIs
and consumed 10 weeks (400 hrs.) of staff time.
This same (non-commissioned) project had over 90
change orders totaling almost $95,000.00 which was
equal to about 1% of the construction costs¹
High School Project
¹ Kristen Heinemeier,et al “Commissioning of New Schools: A State Funded Study of Costs and Benefits

Economics of Commissioning
Existing Building Systems 1
Building Type
Commissioning
Costs
Annual
Savings
Simple
Payback
(Years)
Computer
Facilities/Office
High Rise
Office
Medical
Institution
$24,000 $89,758 .03
$12,745 $8,145 1.6
$24,768 $65,534 .04
1 Gregerson,Joan, “Cost Effectiveness of Commissioning 44 Existing Buildings”, in Proceedings of the National Conference of
Building Commissioning

Economics of Commissioning
Cost Saving range from 5-10% by
eliminating design related change orders
Deficiencies are identified and remedied
before completion when it is more
economical
Funding commissioning as part of the
project represents a 2-5% of project cost.

Why IT Commissioning?
Cost savings realized from problem resolution
during construction not after the walls are up
Acts as a “check & balance” for low bid projects
Quality Control Process
Facility/Network is operational - “the first time”

The IT Infrastructure is
not just cable and
connectors !
…all the necessary
physical layer
components that will
effect the operational
efficiency, network
performance and
reliability of the
information system.

Sample Report Page

Fill ratio
Cable jacket scored and deformed
HVAC pipe in cable bundle
Hard left turn?

IT Commissioning - What’s Included
Conveyance & pathways
Installation methods verification
Testing requirements
Documentation and “As-Builts”
Network Operability - Layer 2+
Convergence validation - Systems
Level

IT Commissioning - What’s Included
Network Connectivity
Power requirements
Code compliance
Standards verification
Fire & Security requirements
A/V integration
Building Automation and Control
integration

Quick Recap
Introduction to the Commissioning “Process”
IT Commissioning – A quality control process
Market Drivers
Case Study & Economic Considerations
Manufacturer Warranty Programs & Commissioning
Warranty Programs Friend or Foe?
Spiderman is trademark of Marvel Characters Inc

Recommendation
Challenge
How can Consider you influence adopting how many the quality
control checks take place from when the
commissioning process as part of
cable reaches the job site to final installation
your cabling and testing? and connectivity
warranty solutions.

Case Study-
College Science Building
120,000 sq. ft’
Combination Classroom/Lab/Office
1,800 Work Area Outlets – 6,000 cables
27 Telecommunications Rooms
SMF/MMF Backbone for Data
– 972 fiber connections
Copper Voice Backbone
– 8,100 pairs

Case Study
Cable Plant Design – IT Dept
Building Specifications – Facility Dept
Manufacturer's Warranty included
Low Bid Award
Job was “Value Engineered”
General Contractor responsible for
implementation – compressed schedules

Case Study Conclusions
Specifications were minimally enforced
Marginal workmanship issues were
resolved by the warranty and
commissioning
Commission Report identified additional
deficiencies and subsequent corrective
action.
Commissioning ROI was Five to One

Summary
Commissioning (Cx) is an accepted
practice in the construction process
that is being mandated by owners
and regulatory bodies.
IT Commissioning (Cx) during
construction and renovation will
become increasingly important as
both a quality control process and
validation of buildings converged
systems.

Thank You & Questions
Rick Foster RCDD, TLT
rfoster@iesllc.biz