Optimizing Airport Building Operations and Maintenance Through Retrocommissioning: A Whole-Systems Approach (2015)

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1 ACRP Report 139 represents the culmination of ACRP Project 09-04, “Airport Building Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Optimization and Recommissioning: A Whole-Systems Approach.” O&M can constitute a significant portion of an airport’s overall budget. In the past, many airports may have deferred maintenance tasks to reduce these costs; more recently, how- ever, airports have begun to realize that deferred maintenance often leads to poorly performing buildings that cost more to operate and may even result in significant deterioration of physical assets. Additionally, in this era of sustainability and limited economic and natural resources, airports are now exploring ways to optimize O&M and improve overall building system perfor- mance, thereby improving efficiency and reliability as well as reducing costs. Although significant financial and environmental benefits can be realized through O&M optimization, the complexity of airport building systems and the lack of a whole-building systems lifecycle approach to decision-making can lead to conflicting priorities and less-than-optimal improvements. This report has been created to help airports understand and apply a whole- building systems lifecycle approach to O&M optimization. Beginning in the early 1990s, it was recognized that, for their successful operation, buildings must first be turned over as fully functioning operations. In implementation, the turnover process reinforced the need for facilities staff training and support documentation. With this in mind, the industry has recognized that application of “commissioning” skills to all phases of a building’s lifecycle can add substantial value to building operations. When a building is commissioned, it undergoes a disciplined process of design reviews, construction inspections, and functional testing beginning in the design phase and concluding only at the end of a 1-year occupancy period. This process validates that the facility’s performance will meet the airport’s objectives and that the facility management and maintenance staff is prepared to operate the building and maintain its systems and equipment. Recommissioning a building repeats the commissioning process to verify and adjust (as nec- essary) a building’s performance to ensure that the systems and equipment continue to operate in an optimized manner. Recommissioning can be applied effectively at regular intervals to optimize long-term energy profiles, improve reliability, and sustain facility performance. For a building that was never commissioned, retrocommissioning applies commissioning principles to investigating, correcting, and validating existing building performance as required to support the mission carried out in the building. Retrocommissioning often can uncover and resolve problems that occurred during design or construction of the original systems. It also can address problems that have developed as a result of the normal aging of the building’s systems and equipment. Retrocommissioning will improve performance and reduce the energy required I N T R O D U C T I O N Optimizing Airport Building Operations and Maintenance Through Retrocommissioning: A Whole-Systems Approach

2 Optimizing Airport Building Operations and Maintenance Through Retrocommissioning: A Whole-Systems Approach to support the mission of a building. The process will also enhance the ability of the O&M team to sustain the improvements over time. For mature airport facilities, a facility condition assessment (FCA) will comprehensively docu- ment airport assets and their condition. An FCA will quantify the amount of deferred maintenance using a facility condition index and replacement cost index. These are used to establish facilities maintenance and capital budgets, and prioritize projects (Ricondo and Associates 2012). An FCA will include all assets in a facility, including building systems and finishes; however, the FCA generally will not seek to diagnose system performance, as is done for a retrocommissioning effort. FCAs and energy audits play an important role in facility planning. Retrocommissioning delivers immediate improvements in facility performance, however, and provides O&M staff with the knowledge of recommissioning procedures to incorporate in preventive maintenance activities. Because this report is focused on optimization of existing buildings, retrocommissioning is a primary focus. Retrocommissioning includes the activities conducted as part of recommissioning, but recommissioning does not include the activities conducted as part of retrocommissioning. Given the frequent changes to airport terminal facilities, retrocommissioning is recommended, as recommissioning may be insufficient to meet current facility requirements. If an airport wishes to implement recommissioning, however, the practices described for retrocommissioning will provide helpful guidance for recommissioning. The term commissioning comes from shipbuilding. A commissioned ship is one deemed ready for service. Before being awarded this title, however, a ship must pass several milestones. Equipment is installed and tested, problems are identified and corrected, and the prospective crew is extensively trained. A commissioned ship is one whose materials, systems, and staff have successfully completed a thorough quality assurance process (Ricondo and Associates 2012). Once a retrocommissioning effort has been completed, it is strongly suggested that ongoing commissioning practices be used to keep the facility in optimal operations. Ongoing commission- ing leverages the data collection and analysis capabilities of building control systems to monitor real- time building performance, identify potential issues, and notify the facilities staff to investigate and resolve them. An effective ongoing commissioning process also supports a culture of accountability and reward that provides incentives to sustain superior building performance. Completed ACRP studies and industry publications were reviewed to provide airports with a comprehensive list of recommendations for optimizing the O&M of terminal facilities. These resources are referenced in Section 1. The recommended practices have been summarized as a Master List in Appendix G, which is provided as a spreadsheet tool on CRP-CD 169: Spreadsheet Tool and Appendixes to ACRP Report 139, included with this report. The CD-ROM also contains appendices providing three detailed case studies, a process map, sample scope of work documents, and a sample report with a retrocommissioning plan. The contents of CRP-CD 169 also are available online. To find Appendixes A through G for this report, go to www.trb.org and search for “ACRP Report 139.” ACRP Report 139 is structured as a guidebook for airports that provides: (1) an overview of the benefits of a whole-building systems lifecycle approach to O&M optimization and retro- commissioning, and (2) guidance for preparing a building systems optimization and retro- commissioning plan to suit their unique needs.