BUILDING COMMISSIONING
OPTIMIZING BUILDING PERFORMANCE
ON THE LEADING EDGE
Whether it’s our design or yours, our fully independent Commissioning Agents are at the leading edge of system start-up and validation ensuring adherence to schedule and lower cost of ownership.
EMBASSY SUITES
Powers Brown Architecture
San Antonio, Texas
OUR APPROACH & SERVICES
DBR launched our Commissioning Division in 2005 by commissioning the first public school in Texas to be LEED Certified. Since then, building owners have experienced shorter start-up, schedule adherence, fewer hidden problems, and peak building performance from day one.
Every building is a unique structure with a unique set of requirements for the owner and users. We understand this dynamic of the built environment, take it into account with each project, and provide tailored commissioning plans that cover the spectrum of all building systems requirements.
DBR'S COMMISSIONING SERVICES:
• Whole Building Commissioning
• Retro-Commissioing
• Re-Commissioing
• Ongoing Commissioning
• Texas Energy Code - IECC 2015 Commissioning
• LEED Fundamental Commissioning
• LEED Enhanced Commissioning
• CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) Commissioning
ENGINEERING THE LONE STAR STATE
5000 Quorum Drive, Suite 400 Dallas, Texas 75254 214.217.9500 EL PASO
401 East Main Street, Suite 401 El Paso, Texas 79901 915.781.1711
HOUSTON
9990 Richmond Avenue South Building, Suite 300 Houston, Texas 77042 713.914.0888
LAREDO 901 Victoria Street, Suite A Laredo, Texas 78040 956.436.5501
MCALLEN
200 South 10th Street, Suite 901 McAllen, Texas 78501 956.683.1640 SAN
9601 McAllister Freeway, Suite 410 San Antonio, Texas 78216 210.546.0200
WHY DBR?
DETAILED DELIVERABLES
DBR’s team of Commissioning Agents get involved early in the project while the building systems are still being designed. Our commissioning process and system validation plans are shared with the project engineers which sharpens their vision of the finished product and brings consensus to the overall project goals.
CONSTRUCTION COST MANAGEMENT
Our independent third-party participation in the design process serves as an extra set of eyes which minimizes errors, omissions, and coordination issues resulting in fewer change orders.
GIORGETTI LUXURY CONDOS
Mirador Group Houston, Texas
O&M COST MANAGEMENT
With the complexity of building systems increasing, many installation problems and the increasing reliance on software results in problems going undetected, causing operational costs penalties in the form of utility costs, human comfort, and productivity, collectively exceeding the one-time initial construction cost of a building.
ONSITE TRAINING
After Cx expectations are set, training shifts from maintaining the equipment and systems to learning how efficiency issues are found and remedied. This evolution in approach will help operations and maintenance recognize that they are owners of the improvements and it is their responsibility to ensure that improvements persist.
Our goal is to manage, integrate, and restore modern energy consumption, energy code requirements, and building control systems while maintaining occupant comfort.
OUR EXPERTISE
THE DBR DIFFERENCE
DBR’s commissioning process has saved Building Owners millions of dollars by quicker system validation and acceptance, schedule adherence, fewer undetected hidden problems, all while maintaining peak building performance. Every building is a unique structure with a unique set of requirements for the owner and users. We understand this dynamic of the built environment, take it into account with each project and provide tailored Commissioning plans that cover the spectrum of all building systems requirements.
EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO):
• Water cooled chillers
• Air cooled chillers
• Cooling towers
• Roof top units
• Make-up units
• Supply fans
• Exhaust fans
• Air handlers
• DX equipment
• Pumps
• Heat exchangers
• Outside air units
• Boilers
• Water heaters
• Exhaust hoods
• Energy recovery units
• Lighting relays
• Fan coil units
• Mini-mates
• Photocells
SYSTEMS (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO):
• Chilled water plants
• Hot water plants
• Ventilation systems
• HVAC controls systems
• Building automation
• Integrated systems
• Piping systems
• Condenser water systems
• Lighting control systems
• Communication
• Stand-by power
• Tertiary pumping system
• Integrated systems test
• Daylight harvesting
As independent experts, our Commissioning Agents’ depth of troubleshooting and problem-solving experience has redefined what it means to have peace of mind from the Owners’ perspective and streamlines the process for our Client.
EXPERIENCE
RESEARCH FOREST LAKESIDE 5
The Woodlands, Texas
PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES
Midland, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
LAMAR UNIVERSITY SETZER STUDENT CENTER
THOMPSON RIVERWALK HOTEL & CONDOS
San Antonio, Texas
BLINN COLLEGE – KRUSE RECREATION CENTER
Brenham, Texas
POST HTX Houston, Texas
SUL ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Bryan ISD Bryan, Texas
JOHN MARSHALL HARLAN HIGH SCHOOL
Northside ISD
San Antonio, Texas
"Texas A&M University realized the benefits of Building Commissioning extended beyond cost savings."
CASE STUDY: CORPS OF CADET HALLS
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
THE CHALLENGE
The Corps of Cadet Halls, also known as the “Quad”, were constructed in 1939 providing accommodations for 2,600 students in 12 halls. While renovations to the Quad took place throughout the ‘60s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, the Quad endured a major demolition and renovation to the interiors of each hall starting in 2015. Additionally, four Leadership Learning Centers that connected four pairs of the buildings were designed and constructed for a total of more than 1.2 million square feet.
The testing process of the mechanical and lighting control systems revealed several issues related to energy usage such as exterior lighting that was not on the building control system, malfunctioning occupancy sensors that allowed air conditioning units to run at full cooling capacity regardless of space occupancy, and sticking control valves that would enable simultaneous heating and cooling. Some of the indoor air quality issues discovered were missing humidity control programs, manual isolation valves found shut that prevented space heating, and faulty fresh air dampers.
THE SOLUTION
This extensive renovation project incorporated a new concept for providing space temperature control in each resident room that employed multiple, custom built, roof mounted air handlers with integral air terminal units and state of the art energy efficiency controls.
Building Commissioning for the Quad was vital to the success of ensuring the new air conditioning concept performed efficiently to maintain the space temperature in the resident’s rooms and to reduce energy usage. Because there was no room for delays, DBR’s commissioning agents worked closely with the design/build firm to develop a Commissioning Coordination Plan to facilitate completion of the commissioning process within the master schedule.
Throughout the commissioning process and upon completion, Texas A&M University realized the benefits of Building Commissioning extended beyond cost savings. Building Commissioning provided the University with newly renovated Corps of Cadet Halls in the Fall of 2017 that were operational and move-in ready for its’ students.