ATLANTA — ASHRAE has added to its suite of commissioning guidance to ensure buildings and systems operate as intended with a new guideline on commissioning for smoke control systems.

Guideline 1.5-2012, the Commissioning Process for Smoke Control Systems, describes the technical requirements of the commissioning process described in ASHRAE’s Guideline 0-2005, The Commissioning Process, to verify that the smoke control system achieves the owner’s project requirements.

The guideline includes annexes that are based on actual project experience and current practice and illustrate application of the commissioning process for smoke control systems and components. It builds upon the concepts of Guideline 5, Commissioning Smoke Management System, and replaces it.

“Due to the integration and interdependency of systems, a performance problem in one system can result in less than optimal performance in others,” said Paul Turnbull, chair of the committee that wrote the guideline. “Although Guideline 1.5 focuses on smoke control systems, a successful building commissioning process validates the interoperability between all building systems. When smoke control is the primary focus of the commissioning process, coordination among disciplines is essential for success.”

Other commissioning guidance from ASHRAE includes Guideline 0-2005, The Commissioning Process, which contains general requirements for the commissioning process of all building systems; and Guideline 1.1-2007, HVAC&R Technical Requirements for the Commissioning Process, which contains specific requirements for commissioning HVACR systems in Guideline 0-2005 that are unique to HVACR systems.

Publication date: 10/22/2012