I am working on a new Cancer Center in St. Louis, MO. We are pursuing the envelope commissioning credits and have a question regarding the requirements:
The requirements in LEED v4 for envelop Cx are unclear on prescribed testing requirements. Our OPR & BOD for the project indicate testing requirements on the mock-up (including air infiltration/exfiltration, water infiltration, and structural testing in accordance with ASTM standards) as well as in-place water infiltration testing on the final installation and frequent installation inspections of the curtain wall, air barriers, and roof. Are there any other prescribed testing activities that are required beyond what we planned, or would our testing plan suffice so long as it meets the code standards indicated in the credit?
Any assistance to help clarify would be greatly appreciated. We want to make sure we are taking the appropriate steps to achieve the credits while being good stewards or our clients budget.
Thank you!
Joyce Kelly
Architect - Cx Provider - Green Building SpecialistGLHN Architects & Engineers
27 thumbs up
September 7, 2024 - 2:42 pm
I believe the BE testing rqmts. are intentionally vague to allow adaptation to different building types in different regions. Your testing matrix may be different from mine in for a similar facility in Arizona. Here's a hot tip on roof testing that may be applicable. Consider a roof moisture scan or electronic leak detection depending on your roof types. Flood testing can be a costly way of determining the location of leaks. Overall, the value of Building Enclosure Cx comes in the pre-construction phase with DD, CD review meetings, design and coordination meetings, submittal & shop drawing reviews. Do a great job during these phases and and make that mock-up testing truly educational and the rest should go well. See Field Verified | FIELD TESTING + BUILDING ENVELOPE + LAB for more detailed information.