𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈?
The last phase of a construction project is the commissioning phase, where the subsystems are integrated together to form the desired plant process, and tested as a system to verify project specification requirements are met. The term commissioning refers to the activities from the point in the project when construction is complete (or equipment is installed) until the equipment is placed into service and handed over to the Owner’s operations team for continued operation and maintenance.
As construction is completed and equipment installation is complete, the construction and commissioning teams will perform a walkthrough to identify any contract deviations or deficiencies, and list all items on a deficiency tracking list. Deficiencies are then classified as Type-A, Type-B, or Type-C, identifying when each must be complete. Type-A is a showstopper, and must be complete before proceeding to the next activity. Type-B does not need to be addressed immediately and does not impact subsequent activities, but must be rectified prior to handover to the owner. Type-C deficiencies are minor defects and are agreed by the owner to be rectified after handover to the owner.
For mechanical systems, pre-commissioning activities consist of cleaning and flushing of pipes, pressure testing, and leak testing. Any rotating equipment such as a pump are bump tested, which means rotating for the first time on site to verify current draw, pressure, and flow rates. There may be an initial run-in period of motors and pumps to verify vibration and heating/cooling as well as confirm no infant mortality issues.
Following completion of pre-commissioning checklists, commissioning can begin. Commissioning is the on-site process to verify that equipment has not been damaged during shipping since the FAT was completed. All field devices are installed at this point, so field wiring is confirmed to be correct, and a subset of FAT tests are repeated to ensure the equipment can communicate to all field devices and that equipment is calibrated.
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