Commissioning

What Commissioning Actually Involves

Commissioning is not a single event - it's a phased process that begins during construction and culminates in integrated system testing before handover.

Pre-commissioning: Individual equipment and components are tested at installation. Each pump, motor, panel, and fixture is verified to be installed correctly and operational. This happens progressively as MEP installation advances floor by floor.

Individual system commissioning: Each building system is tested independently. The HVAC system is tested for airflow, temperature control, and duct integrity. The electrical system is tested for load capacity, earthing, and protection relay operation. The plumbing system is tested for pressure, flow, and leak-free operation. The fire safety system is tested for detection, alarm, and sprinkler coverage.

Integrated commissioning: All systems are tested together under simulated occupancy conditions. The HVAC system runs while the electrical system handles peak load. The DG set activates during a power changeover test. The fire suppression system is triggered while the building management system (BMS) responds correctly.

Why Commissioning Delays Indian Projects

Commissioning is often treated as a "we'll handle it when we get there" phase rather than a planned, scheduled activity. The consequences are predictable.

Common delay patterns: MEP installation runs behind schedule, compressing the commissioning window. The commissioning engineer discovers that an HVAC system was installed without the specified dampers - installation rework needed before testing can begin. Electrical panels were energised without proper testing sequence, causing tripping issues that take weeks to diagnose.

On Indian residential projects, the gap between "construction visually complete" and "occupation certificate received" is frequently 3-6 months. A significant portion of this gap is commissioning and testing - work that wasn't adequately scheduled or resourced.

The RERA Commissioning Challenge

RERA compliance timelines include commissioning. A project registered with a 36-month completion timeline must complete construction, commissioning, and obtain the occupation certificate within those 36 months.

When commissioning isn't planned as part of the master schedule with realistic durations, the 36-month timeline assumes construction fills the entire period. Commissioning is then squeezed into the last month, corners are cut, systems are handed over with unresolved issues, and post-handover complaints spike.

Projects that include commissioning activities in the baseline schedule - with realistic durations, proper predecessor logic, and dedicated commissioning resources - avoid this compression.

Commissioning Documentation

Every commissioning test produces documentation: test reports, as-built drawings reflecting final system configurations, operation and maintenance manuals, equipment warranties and certificates, and compliance certificates from relevant authorities (fire department, electrical inspector, lift inspector).

This documentation is required for the occupation certificate application. Incomplete commissioning documentation is a common reason for OC delays on Indian projects. A project can be physically complete but unable to obtain OC because the fire NOC (no-objection certificate) requires completed fire suppression test reports that haven't been compiled.

Digital commissioning management - where test schedules, results, and documentation are tracked in a centralised system - ensures nothing is missed in this document-heavy phase.