The project contractor intends to do a full flush-out prior to occupancy. Most of the furniture will be installed prior to flush-out, but on particular oder has been delayed and may not arrive in time.
Has anyone tried doing some kind of continued flush-out post-occupancy to account for furniture not in place when the flush-out began?
Seems unreasonable to require the contractor to be in charge of the flush-out when they have no control over the furniture, which is under a different contract.
Thanks!
Kelli Kimura
Opsis Architecture13 thumbs up
July 1, 2022 - 1:25 pm
Hi Erica,
I was wondering what your project team ended up doing in this situation and if it was accepted by folks at GBCI. Any insight appreciated.
Thanks!
emily reese moody
Sustainability Director, Certifications & ComplianceJacobs
LEEDuser Expert
476 thumbs up
July 1, 2022 - 1:58 pm
Having all the furniture in place prior to the start of flushing or testing is a hard requirement with v4/4.1.
Phased flush/testing is allowed if you can properly isolate the systems/areas, if that helps.
With scope, FF&E is often separately contracted, but it's still part of the overall project. If appropriate, your team may need to relieve the contractor of this requirement and discuss options from the owner building ops people (or whoever would be most appropriate) to implement.
Michelle Halle Stern
Senior Sustainability ConsultantGreenwood Consulting Group
121 thumbs up
June 24, 2024 - 1:20 pm
Emily, please clarify your comment. If FFE is not part of the LEED project, it should not be required to be installed to achieve a LEED credit. Where is it explicitly stated, that all furniture, inside or outside the LEED project, must be included and installed prior to the start of flushout?
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
530 thumbs up
June 24, 2024 - 1:35 pm
this language is found within the submittal tips document: https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-submittal-tips-bdc-v4
"Ensure that all interior finishes, movable furnishings, and major VOC punchlist items were installed and complete before the (flushout/air testing) commences"
I also saw this noted within a GBCI review report...and when we get comments on the flushout, that is a bell we can't 'unring'.
emily reese moody
Sustainability Director, Certifications & ComplianceJacobs
LEEDuser Expert
476 thumbs up
June 24, 2024 - 1:50 pm
Sure thing.
I have many projects (often government) where FFE is part of the overall project, but is a separate set of documents than the rest of the drawings/specs, on a separate timeline for delivery/installation to the site. Often with Federal projects, FFE is owner-provided. Still, it is part of the project, and therefore required to be in place prior to either the flushout or air testing can occur.
If a new construction project excludes FFE entirely, then it would really be a Core & Shell project, and should not be under the BD+C rating system. This particular credit does not exist for CS projects. If for some reason a regular new construction project's scope does not include FFE, then I would think it simply would not be eligible for this credit.
Glen Boldt
ZC Sustainability1 thumbs up
June 24, 2024 - 2:22 pm
I wonder if a path is possible for allowing th "late arrivals" to be offgassed in a different location, like an open parking garage.
emily reese moody
Sustainability Director, Certifications & ComplianceJacobs
LEEDuser Expert
476 thumbs up
June 24, 2024 - 2:28 pm
That is one of our normal best practices we recommend for better IAQ (and better testing results), but doesn't change the timeline requirements for the credit.
Michelle Halle Stern
Senior Sustainability ConsultantGreenwood Consulting Group
121 thumbs up
June 24, 2024 - 3:06 pm
Of course that makes sense if part of the LEED project but what iff FFE is outside the scope? For me that distinction is important and not addressed in the language you are quoting. It's a timing problem for pre and post occupancy.
emily reese moody
Sustainability Director, Certifications & ComplianceJacobs
LEEDuser Expert
476 thumbs up
June 24, 2024 - 3:19 pm
Right. If the timeline for a separate FFE contract/scope is delayed to the point that it'll greatly affect the ability to pursue the credit, then the project just wouldn't be able to pursue the Credit as it would not be applicable.
Doing a flushout and/or air test should be a best practice that's recommended to the owner, but if the project cannot have all the applicable items in place to meet the credit requirements, then you just cannot pursue it. Flushing or testing without the FFE installed is good, but the intent of the credit is to have all of those components in place to truly improve the IAQ for the occupants. I am not aware of exceptions, but if projects feel they have an acceptable alternative, they would need to contact LEED Coach for project-specific guidance.
Russ Pellegrino
Technical DirectorCentek Laboratories, LLC
16 thumbs up
June 25, 2024 - 10:11 am
Depending on the size of the building you can do the IAQ testing from a certified ISO17025 laboratory and do all the areas that are completed. Once the rest of the furniture is in the other area you can test.
A typical collection of samples is 2-4 hours which is a lot faster than a flush out...
emily reese moody
Sustainability Director, Certifications & ComplianceJacobs
LEEDuser Expert
476 thumbs up
June 26, 2024 - 8:13 pm
I do know that you can break up the timing of a flushout if your HVAC zones can be isolated in a controlled manner; I'm not sure if the same logic applies for testing - as in, the project would need to isolate spaces...have you done this before without issue?
Russ Pellegrino
Technical DirectorCentek Laboratories, LLC
16 thumbs up
June 27, 2024 - 11:48 am
Emily,
Yes many have done this. When you have large buildings they can't finish everything at the same time and they need people to move in. Once a floor has been cleared they move onto the next one.