Engineered Air Balance Co., Inc. is the leading authority in Total Building Commissioning, encompassing HVAC commissioning, electrical commissioning, plumbing and life safety. As experts in our field, the dedicated team that staffs our commissioning projects are separate from our testing and balancing staff. The two independent teams allow us to provide objective, third-party services to owners.
The unparalleled value we deliver to our clients is shaped by a distinct set of principles. These guiding elements form the foundation of our services, enabling us to distinguish ourselves as the foremost experts in Total Building Commissioning. We invite you to discover the key difference points that set EAB apart.
Use the dropdowns below to dive into the key difference points that distinguish EAB in the world of building commissioning!
How We Define the Building
Commissioning Difference
Our Commissioning (Cx) team is cultivated to possess a versatile skill set, embodying a "Jack of all Trades and Master of a Few" philosophy. This broad spectrum of expert knowledge across the team ensures our members can adapt to unforeseen changes in project conditions, fully sustaining the project schedule and activities without the need to reallocate expert manpower. This wide-ranging expertise allows our team members to support and learn from each other, tackling the most complex issues with collective knowledge and strength.
EAB's local presence sets us apart from other firms. While others rely on out-of-town personnel and face scheduling constraints, our local presence allows us to promptly conduct on-site field reviews of System Verification Checklist (SVC) data and provide direct support to contractors, guaranteeing information accuracy.
EAB’s on site presence plays a crucial role in the acceptance phase process, ensuring that all FPT procedures are meticulously followed, accurately recorded, and thoroughly validated, guaranteeing that the system's performance aligns with the project's specifications and the owner's expectations.
Our approach to Integrated Systems Testing emphasizes flexibility and local support, enabling us to accommodate tests without the need for weeks of advance planning, unlike firms that depend on out-of-town personnel. Our local team ensures comprehensive support, even for tests requiring multiple teams, with an EAB representative included for each. By engaging in pretesting and holding dedicated review and coordination meetings, we ensure smooth execution and maintain clear communication, aligning closely with project goals and reinforcing our commitment to excellence and partnership.
Our commissioning plans are tailored to each project, incorporating specific commissioning documents like system verification checklists (SVC) and functional performance tests (FPT) designed for the systems within our scope. This approach guarantees complete clarity on expectations for all parties involved in the commissioning process.
The commissioning plan outlines a precise list of deliverables required from the contractor, including those specified in the project specifications such as startup reports and test results obtained during construction. This level of detail ensures expectations are transparent throughout the commissioning journey. We prioritize the success of the contractor’s team in delivering an effective commissioning process.
Early in the project, we distribute Functional Performance Test (FPT) scripts for review with the project team. Our functional tests are project-specific, detailed, and replicable, fostering a clear understanding of test procedures.
We facilitate dedicated sequence review meetings with the project team to confirm consensus on the expected system functionality. Often, challenges arise from differing interpretations, which can be addressed and clarified through these discussions before programming begins. Resolving these issues early enhances efficiency during field testing.
Our regular commissioning meeting minutes offer a thorough record of progress and conversations over the course of the commissioning process bolstering transparency and accountability throughout the project's lifecycle. These records provide an exhaustive account of progress and discussions throughout the commissioning phase, offering all project stakeholders valuable historical references.
Our reporting structure is organized and intuitive, crafted with Owner Focused Reporting in mind. This ensures the commissioned systems' reports are accessible and useful throughout their operational life.
Our regular commissioning meeting minutes offer a thorough record of progress and conversations over the course of the commissioning process bolstering transparency and accountability throughout the project's lifecycle. These records provide an exhaustive account of progress and discussions throughout the commissioning phase, offering all project stakeholders valuable historical references.
Our reporting structure is organized and intuitive, crafted with Owner Focused Reporting in mind. This ensures the commissioned systems' reports are accessible and useful throughout their operational life.
Our System Verification Checklist (SVC) framework ensures comprehensive transparency regarding the project's status for the entire team, from the equipment submittal phase through to startup.
Our checklists are tailor-made for each project, ensuring they are project-specific and customized according to the project's unique needs.
The data includes specified, submitted, and installed information, streamlining the process. We aim to provide more comprehensive data than our competitors, enhancing the asset management system with a higher level of detail.
We utilize an online database to store our checklists, which is designed for flexibility to accommodate the diverse requirements of various asset management systems. Upon project completion, the data can be effortlessly exported into the asset management system, facilitating a smooth transition from the construction phase to an Owner-operated facility. The database allows for detailed querying of information related to components and equipment for export purposes. This method has been successfully implemented in multiple projects regarding substantial clients.
Operating independently from the design team, we offer an unbiased third-party review, bringing an objective perspective to each project.
Our review process is deeply informed by practical field experience, allowing us to evaluate documents for compliance, theoretical soundness, and for real-world applicability and effectiveness.
We examine the project documentation with a keen eye on how various scopes and integrations will function together, ensuring seamless interaction between different system components and disciplines.
Our methodology is rooted in a proactive rather than reactive approach, starting right from the design phase and persisting throughout the project's lifecycle. This forward-thinking strategy enables us to anticipate potential issues and address them before they become problematic, ensuring a smoother, more efficient project flow.
From the outset of the construction phase with the commissioning (Cx) kickoff meeting and continuing throughout the entire process, our goal is to cultivate a team-oriented mindset and approach. We stay approachable and actively involved, helping to ensure that every member of the team is well-acquainted and comfortable with the commissioning process. This is accomplished through convenient means tailored to the team's needs, such as utilizing online conference software for meetings to discuss specific issues, or through onsite visits aimed at providing direct support or training to teams on aspects they require assistance with to meet Cx requirements.
Our familiarity with the project, both from the perspective of documentation and field status, positions us to effectively organize and lead onsite meetings with the whole project team. We can coordinate activities based on the understanding of the project's actual progress, ensuring that updates are precise and reflective of current conditions.
We prioritize a transparent and supportive approach, avoiding "gotcha moments" and instead focusing on collaborative problem-solving and knowledge-sharing to facilitate a smooth and successful commissioning process.
Our proactive approach includes engaging in mockups, pre-testing, and troubleshooting for systems still under construction, facilitating their progress towards full functionality. By actively participating alongside the project team in pretesting and mockup creation, we help to ensure a more comprehensive initial product, minimizing potential issues down the line. This collaborative effort enables contractors to deliver a more refined and complete system, enhancing the overall project quality.
Our proactive approach includes engaging in mockups, pre-testing, and troubleshooting for systems still under construction, facilitating their progress towards full functionality. By actively participating alongside the project team in pretesting and mockup creation, we help to ensure a more comprehensive initial product, minimizing potential issues down the line. This collaborative effort enables contractors to deliver a more refined and complete system, enhancing the overall project quality..
Our process encompasses a thorough review and functional testing of all systems, ensuring they operate correctly and efficiently within their designed parameters. Our functional testing extends beyond mere operational checks, involving rigorous performance evaluations to verify that each component and system meets its specific operational requirements under real-world conditions. We facilitate a smooth handover by providing detailed documentation, including operation and maintenance manuals, as-built drawings, and a comprehensive commissioning report. This report not only outlines the performance of each system but also details any corrective actions taken, ensuring transparency and accountability.
We help facilitate a smooth handover by reviewing closeout documentation, including operation and maintenance manuals and as-built drawings, and providing a comprehensive commissioning report. This report not only outlines the performance of each system but also details any corrective actions taken, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Expanding the provision of a thoroughly commissioned building to the owner, our process includes an in-depth orientation and training for the owner and their operational staff on the building's systems and controls. This training encompasses detailed O&M reviews, which guide the staff through proper procedures for efficient system management and maintenance, ensuring they are fully prepared to handle the building's intricacies.
Our approach also involves a review of the building against industry standards, ensuring that every aspect of the construction and commissioning process adheres to the highest levels of quality and efficiency. By integrating these standards into our process, we guarantee that the building not only meets but often exceeds the required benchmarks for performance, safety, and sustainability.
This comprehensive package equips the owner with all the essential information and tools required to operate the facility according to the design intent from day one. It ensures a seamless transition to effective building management and maintenance, providing clear insight into operational parameters, capabilities, and ensuring readiness for any potential challenges. With this knowledge and the support of detailed documentation, the owner is well-prepared to maintain the building's efficiency, comfort, and safety for occupants, securing the investment's value over time.
EAB serves as the owner’s advocate throughout the programming, design, construction, and warranty phases.
In the programming phase, we make suggestions to the design team regarding operational criteria and performance metrics. During design, we can suggest alternative control systems and strategies to improve performance and lower life-cycle costs. Once the design documents are complete, we develop system verification checklists that document systems from procurement through installation, start-up, and operational testing. Project-specific functional performance tests match control sequences with equipment installed. We also test MEP system performance with all integrated systems — emergency power, stair pressurization, and smoke control systems, plus any specialized pressurization for biocontainment areas, hospitals, vivariums, etc.
Our final documentation provides benchmarks for energy use, guidelines for seasonal operational adjustments, start-up and shutdown procedures, and diagnostic tools to ensure comfort and deliver an optimum operating facility.
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