Practical Guides to Testing and Commissioning of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (Mep) Installations

Copyright © 2018 by Chandra B. Gurung.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5437-4691-4

                eBook            978-1-5437-4690-7

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Practical Guides to Testing and Commissioning of

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Installations

By Captain (Retired) Chandra B. Gurung, QGE, MCQI, MIET

PREFACE

During my carrier as a Commissioning Manager with Commtech Asia in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia Pacific I came across with many MEP Contractors. Some were good in preparing their T&C Method Statements and some had difficulties. The contract documents make reference to British Standards, EN Standards, Local Code of Practices, ASHRAE and CIBSE Standard & Codes. But it does not tell you how to prepare a very simple T&C method Statement.

In late 70s I used to work with Architectural Services Department of Hong Kong SAR Government, as a Building Services Technical Officer for 5 years on Secondment from British Army and their T&C Procedure was found to be very useful. This helped me a lot in doing my T&C works later in Tsing Ma Bridge and Ting Kau Bridge projects in Hong Kong with Highways Department where I was employed as a Resident Site Staff.

This book will provide guide lines for Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and Fire Services Engineers on how to prepare technical parts of a T&C Method Statement submission for their MEP contracts. For Project Directors, Project Managers and Resident Staff it serves as a check list to ensure that all equipment are tested properly for energy saving and their resilience.

In late 90s before the millennium I was working in MCI World Data Centre in Chai Wan, Hong Kong, when I came across with many critical electrical equipment like UPS, PDU, STS, CRAC and Gensets. This helped me a lot in 2007 when I started working with Commtech Asia in Hong Kong as a T&C Manager. From time to time the Architectural Services Department keep updating their T&C Procedure and this has always been my source of information in writing this book and sincerely would like to thank them.

It is to be noted that in all T&C process each procedure requires Test Sheet to record the test results, due to limited space on this book I am unable to provide all sample of these test sheets to readers for their reference.

At the end of this book I have appended two appendixes. Appendix A gives readers some guide lines on how to prepare an Integrated System Test Method Statement with example of 3 failure test scenarios. In order to prepare this Method Statement one, have to study all electrical schematic diagrams carefully. Then analyzing all circuits fed by that transformer i.e. if Tx No. 5 fails which part of the building will lose Electrical power in stage 1 (Before Genset starts) and which part of the building will resume power in stage 2 (after the Genset has started). If there is an UPS unit in the circuit during this transition period UPS will switch to Battery Mode to take over the UPS Load, then back to Inverter Mode when Genset ramps up the power supply as a backup source.

Appendix B is a sample of Heat Load Test Method statement. The main purpose of a Heat Load Test is to test the failure scenarios related to change-over and operation of Chillers, Cooling Towers and related Chilled water and Condenser pumps.

As it can be seen the load on the Data Centre is slowly increase in steps from 0 – 100% Load known as staging up ensuring that the room temperature and humidity is fully stabilized prior to any change-over action for next stage. For these two Appendixes I would like to thank Commtech Asia Limited for their consent in allowing me to use these sample Method Statements.

DISCLAIMER

This Practical Guides to Testing and Commissioning of MEP Installations lay down general guide lines for technical section of a T&C Method Statement for nearly all MEP services encountered in Construction Industry. This book will provide Guide Lines for Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Plumbing and Drainage Engineers and Fire Services Engineers to prepare their Technical Procedure part of the T&C Method Statement. However, it does not cover full section of T&C Method Statement like Introduction, Tools and Instruments Requires, Resources, Materials, Storage and Handling, Responsibilities and Safety & Risk Assessment etc.

Users who choose to adopt this Practical Guides for their works are responsible for making their own assessments and judgement of all information contained herein. The Author does not accept any liability and responsibility for any special, indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the use of this Practical Guides or reliance placed on it.

ABBREVIATION

AC = Alternating Current

A/C= Air conditioning

ACB= Air Circuit Breaker

AFA = Automatic Fire Alarm

AHU = Air Handling Unit

ATS = Auto-Transfer Switch

BMS = Building Management System

CCS = Chiller Control System

CCTV = Closed Circuit Television

CDWP = Condensing Water Pump

CHWP = Chilled Water Pump

CHWS = Chilled Water Supply

CHWR = Chilled Water Return

CPC = Circuit Protective Conductor

COP = Code of Practice

CRAC = Computer Room Air Conditioning

CT = Current Transformer

CVM = Current Volt Meter

DC= Direct Current

DOL = Direct On Line

DRUPS = Dynamic Rotary UPS

DRV = Double Regulating Valve

EAF = Exhaust Air Fan

E/F = Earth Fault

ELV = Extra Low Voltage

ES = Earthing Switch

E-Stop = Emergency Stop

FAD = Fresh Air Duct

FAF = Fresh Air Fan

FAT = Factory Acceptance Test

FCU = Fan Coil Unit

FLC = Full Load Current

F.S. = Fire Services

Genset = Generator Set

HV = High Voltage

HLT = Heat Load Test

HVPF = High Voltage Power Frequency

Hz = Hertz

IP = Independent Parallel

IST = Integrated System Test

kV = Kilo Volt

kVar = Kilo Volt Amps Reactive

Kw= Kilo Watt

Kwh = Kilo Watt Hour

L/min = Litre Per minutes

LMCP = Local Motor Control Panel

LV = Low Voltage

LVSB = Low Voltage Switch Boards

M = Mega

MCB = Miniature Circuit Breaker

MCC = Motor Control Centre

MEP = Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing

MV = Medium Voltage

NER = Neutral Earth Resistor

O/C = Over Current

PAU = Pressurized Air Unit

PDU = Power Distribution Unit

P.F. = Power Factor

PSI = Per Square Inch

PQM = Power Quality Meter

RCD = Residual Current Device

REW = Registered Electrical Worker

RH = Relative Humidity

Rpm = Revolutions per Minutes

SAT = Site Acceptance Test

SCADA = Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

STS = Static Transfer Switch

T&C = Testing and Commissioning

THD = Total Harmonics Distortion

Tx = Transformer

UPS = Uninterruptible Power Supply