Commissioning Building Enclosure Assemblies and Systems

Understand the principles and practices of commissioning building enclosures from predesign to early occupancy. This course delves into enclosure requirements, testing methods, and architectural details to prevent common problems such as air leakage, moisture damage, and thermal bridging. Attendees will explore relevant standards, guidelines, and case studies to confidently apply commissioning strategies in real-world projects.

View course details

Who Should Attend?

Building enclosure commissioning professionals and process authorities leading projects.
Contractors and technical staff responsible for implementing enclosure systems.
Building owners and managers ensuring reliable and compliant performance of enclosure assemblies.

What You Will Learn

Master the building enclosure commissioning process, including planning, testing, and verification activities.
Apply building science principles to optimize the control of air, heat, and moisture within enclosure systems.
Identify and address typical enclosure problems using proven methods and tools aligned with industry standards.

Course Details: RA01167-E232

Overview of the Commissioning Process

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013 and Standard 202-2013
What is the commissioning process?
What is a quality delivery process?
ASHRAE/NIBS Guideline 0-2013
What occurs in each phase of project delivery?
Benefits of the commissioning process

Building Science Fundamentals

The 2nd Law in layman’s terms
Rain control
Psychrometrics
Water vapor transport
Moisture control
Interstitial condensation
Confusion about diffusion
Moisture and materials and sustainability
Air transport
Airflow control
Pressures and IAQ
Interaction with mechanical equipment
Heat transfer
Heat transfer control
Thermal bridging
ASHRAE Standard 160
Moisture control design analysis
Integrated design for the control of heat, air, and moisture
Avoiding mistakes
Learning from past successes and failures

The Building Enclosure Commissioning Process

Commissioning process roles and responsibilities
Pre-design phase commissioning activities
The OPR and BOD
The BECx plan
Design and submittal reviews
Construction phase verification
The BECx test plan
Systems manual requirements
Owner training
Lifetime persistence plan
Close out report
Overview of NIBS Guideline 3-2012
Overview of LEED v4 EA Envelope Commissioning
Overview of ASTM E2813
Benefits and impact of BECx for stakeholders
Staffing requirements and cost guidelines

Architectural Details and Interfaces

Water barriers
Air barriers and the importance of continuity
Vapor barriers
Impact of climate and geography
Transition and interface details
Walls and facades
Flashings
Windows and doors
Curtain walls
Roofs
Slab on grade, foundations, and basement walls
Sustainable assemblies/high performance details
Coordination with other building systems and assemblies
Enclosure penetrations

Building Enclosure Commissioning Tests

The BECx test plan
Test standards and guidelines
Qualitative and quantitative tests
Verification means and methods
Performance criteria
Laboratory tests
Component, assembly, and whole building tests
Water tests
Air tests
Mockups
Testing roofs, flashing, and roof penetrations
Testing walls, windows, and doors
Testing penetrations
Infra-red and whole building testing after construction

BECx Case Study

Building description
CxP plan and activities
Construction sequence
Construction checklists for BECx
Mock-ups and constructability review
Schedule
Building performance and whole building testing
Summary of scope of work and the close out report
Examples of completed checklists and test results

Status of the Industry

The enrollment and successful completion of this course will meet the eligibility requirements for the certification course, Building Enclosure Commissioning Certification Examination. If you are interested in pursuing commissioning certification, consider enrolling in both these courses simultaneously. Alternatively, you may enroll in the certification course at a later date when it becomes available.

Instructors
Fiona Aldous
Senior Principal
Fiona Aldous is a Senior Principal with Wiss Janney Elstner Associates. She has performed comprehensive building enclosure commissioning on numerous new buildings and repaired a variety of existing building enclosures on projects throughout North America. Her hands-on experience includes design, detailing and installation of various high-performance enclosures, comprising curtain wall and window systems, air barriers, waterproofing of below-grade and plaza systems, low slope roofs and the interfaces of the various enclosure components. Fiona holds a post-graduate Master of Architecture, Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science degrees. She was a prime author of the BECx industry's founding document, NIBS/ASHRAE Guideline 3 - The Building Enclosure Commissioning Process. She actively serves on ASHRAE technical committees. Is past convener of ISO21105, Performance of Buildings — Building enclosure thermal performance verification and commissioning document. Fiona has authored articles and papers, taught classes and provided presentations on various aspects of the building enclosure and commissioning in the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia.
Ian McIntosh
Program Director
Dr. Ian McIntosh is a Program Director for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro). He joined the InterPro Facilities and Building Systems team in December 2020 after being a frequent lecturer and course developer for the previous 20 years. His responsibilities include teaching, directing and business development for commissioning certification courses related to project management, existing buildings, and building enclosures. He is also the owner and founder of ianTEACH LLC, which provides innovative and strategic performance-based training and coaching to engineers, architects, construction, and facilities management professionals in various sectors of the national building industry.
Chris Schumacher
Senior Building Science Specialist
Chris is an expert in the field of building monitoring and enclosure and building systems testing. Chris oversees much of the work done through RDH Building Science Laboratories, and he regularly consults on the development of experimental test programs for academic institutions, building product manufacturers, and government agencies. Chris’s research work includes the Thermal Metric Project, a multiyear investigation of thermal performance in full-scale wall assemblies; and the development of an apparatus and test method that measures dense-pack airflow resistance to support the development of the Building Performance Institute’s test standard BPI-103 and material standard BPI-102. Before joining RDH, Chris was a founding principal of Building Science Consulting Inc. and a founding partner of Balanced Solutions Inc., an innovative Canadian building science RD&D consultancy.
Program Director
Ian McIntosh

Please Note: The enrollment and successful completion of this course will meet the eligibility requirements for the certification course, Building Enclosure Commissioning Certification Examination. If you are interested in pursuing commissioning certification, consider enrolling in both these courses simultaneously. Alternatively, you may enroll in the certification course at a later date when it becomes available.

Total Credits:

CEU 2.4,

PDH 24,

LU/HSW 24,

Applies to these Certificates:

Accredited Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure (CxA+BE),

Building Enclosure Commissioning and Commissioning Authority+Building Enclosure Process Provider (BECxP and CxA+BE),

Building Enclosure Commissioning Process Provider (BECxP),

Course Administration

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
Provide the registrations representative with:
- the course name, dates, and/or course number.
- the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Request Purchase Order information from registration@cerc.wisc.edu
- If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email registration@cerc.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

If you cannot attend, please notify us by no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Because this course has limited enrollment, cancellation received after this date and no-shows are subject to the full course fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.

Once you have accessed the online course, exam and/or materials, no cancellations or refunds are permitted.

"Truly enjoyed the class and learned a lot about the commission process and building science that will benefit my career, construction knowledge, and our company. I look forward to implementing what we learned and plan on attending future courses to learn more."
"I took a great deal of information away that will greatly improve my future projects. I definitely plan to endorse this course to fellow colleagues in our industry."
"The course is well worth the time for both experienced enclosure professionals and those just beginning."
"I recently graduated with an Engineering degree taking multiple Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and HVAC classes. Your class helped me understand a number of things that those classes didn’t get. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Great class, great instructors, and I’ll be recommending it to everyone I can."
"The course refreshed my interest in building science, renewed my interest in the specifics of building enclosure systems, details, and products and raised my skill set and confidence with ASHRAE guidelines, ASTM standards, and testing protocols."

Course Details: RA01167-E241

Overview of the Commissioning Process

ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013 and Standard 202-2013
What is the commissioning process?
What is a quality delivery process?
ASHRAE/NIBS Guideline 0-2013
What occurs in each phase of project delivery?
Benefits of the commissioning process

Building Science Fundamentals

The 2nd Law in layman’s terms
Rain control
Psychrometrics
Water vapor transport
Moisture control
Interstitial condensation
Confusion about diffusion
Moisture and materials and sustainability
Air transport
Airflow control
Pressures and IAQ
Interaction with mechanical equipment
Heat transfer
Heat transfer control
Thermal bridging
ASHRAE Standard 160
Moisture control design analysis
Integrated design for the control of heat, air, and moisture
Avoiding mistakes
Learning from past successes and failures

The Building Enclosure Commissioning Process

Commissioning process roles and responsibilities
Pre-design phase commissioning activities
The OPR and BOD
The BECx plan
Design and submittal reviews
Construction phase verification
The BECx test plan
Systems manual requirements
Owner training
Lifetime persistence plan
Close out report
Overview of NIBS Guideline 3-2012
Overview of LEED v4 EA Envelope Commissioning
Overview of ASTM E2813
Benefits and impact of BECx for stakeholders
Staffing requirements and cost guidelines

Architectural Details and Interfaces

Water barriers
Air barriers and the importance of continuity
Vapor barriers
Impact of climate and geography
Transition and interface details
Walls and facades
Flashings
Windows and doors
Curtain walls
Roofs
Slab on grade, foundations, and basement walls
Sustainable assemblies/high performance details
Coordination with other building systems and assemblies
Enclosure penetrations

Building Enclosure Commissioning Tests

The BECx test plan
Test standards and guidelines
Qualitative and quantitative tests
Verification means and methods
Performance criteria
Laboratory tests
Component, assembly, and whole building tests
Water tests
Air tests
Mockups
Testing roofs, flashing, and roof penetrations
Testing walls, windows, and doors
Testing penetrations
Infra-red and whole building testing after construction

BECx Case Study

Building description
CxP plan and activities
Construction sequence
Construction checklists for BECx
Mock-ups and constructability review
Schedule
Building performance and whole building testing
Summary of scope of work and the close out report
Examples of completed checklists and test results

Status of the Industry

Course Location

Pyle Center

702 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706

Map

608-262-1122

866-301-1753

Lodging

Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club

One West Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703

Map

Room: rates start at $160

Accommodations include: Complimentary WiFi, Local/Airport Shuttle, Pool, Fitness Center

DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown

525 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53703

Map

Accommodations include: Complimentary WiFi and Local/Airport Shuttle. Parking available $15/night.

Online Reservations

800-222-8733

608-251-5511

Fluno Center

601 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706

Map

Accommodations include: Your stay includes hot breakfast buffet, fitness center, business center, convenient on-site parking. Guest rooms are complete with Keurig coffee maker, refrigerator, complimentary high-speed Internet, and 40-inch, flat screen, high-def TVs.

Online Reservations

877-773-5866

608-441-7117

More Madison Lodging Options

Instructors
Fiona Aldous
Senior Principal
Fiona Aldous is a Senior Principal with Wiss Janney Elstner Associates. She has performed comprehensive building enclosure commissioning on numerous new buildings and repaired a variety of existing building enclosures on projects throughout North America. Her hands-on experience includes design, detailing and installation of various high-performance enclosures, comprising curtain wall and window systems, air barriers, waterproofing of below-grade and plaza systems, low slope roofs and the interfaces of the various enclosure components. Fiona holds a post-graduate Master of Architecture, Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science degrees. She was a prime author of the BECx industry's founding document, NIBS/ASHRAE Guideline 3 - The Building Enclosure Commissioning Process. She actively serves on ASHRAE technical committees. Is past convener of ISO21105, Performance of Buildings — Building enclosure thermal performance verification and commissioning document. Fiona has authored articles and papers, taught classes and provided presentations on various aspects of the building enclosure and commissioning in the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia.
Chris Schumacher
Senior Building Science Specialist
Chris is an expert in the field of building monitoring and enclosure and building systems testing. Chris oversees much of the work done through RDH Building Science Laboratories, and he regularly consults on the development of experimental test programs for academic institutions, building product manufacturers, and government agencies. Chris’s research work includes the Thermal Metric Project, a multiyear investigation of thermal performance in full-scale wall assemblies; and the development of an apparatus and test method that measures dense-pack airflow resistance to support the development of the Building Performance Institute’s test standard BPI-103 and material standard BPI-102. Before joining RDH, Chris was a founding principal of Building Science Consulting Inc. and a founding partner of Balanced Solutions Inc., an innovative Canadian building science RD&D consultancy.
Ian McIntosh
Program Director
Dr. Ian McIntosh is a Program Director for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro). He joined the InterPro Facilities and Building Systems team in December 2020 after being a frequent lecturer and course developer for the previous 20 years. His responsibilities include teaching, directing and business development for commissioning certification courses related to project management, existing buildings, and building enclosures. He is also the owner and founder of ianTEACH LLC, which provides innovative and strategic performance-based training and coaching to engineers, architects, construction, and facilities management professionals in various sectors of the national building industry.
Program Director
Ian McIntosh

Total Credits:

CEU 2.4,

PDH 24,

LU/HSW 24,

Applies to these Certificates:

Accredited Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure (CxA+BE),

Building Enclosure Commissioning and Commissioning Authority+Building Enclosure Process Provider (BECxP and CxA+BE),

Building Enclosure Commissioning Process Provider (BECxP),

Course Administration

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
Provide the registrations representative with:
- the course name, dates, and/or course number.
- the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Request Purchase Order information from registration@cerc.wisc.edu
- If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email registration@cerc.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

"Truly enjoyed the class and learned a lot about the commission process and building science that will benefit my career, construction knowledge, and our company. I look forward to implementing what we learned and plan on attending future courses to learn more."
"I took a great deal of information away that will greatly improve my future projects. I definitely plan to endorse this course to fellow colleagues in our industry."
"The course is well worth the time for both experienced enclosure professionals and those just beginning."
"I recently graduated with an Engineering degree taking multiple Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and HVAC classes. Your class helped me understand a number of things that those classes didn’t get. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Great class, great instructors, and I’ll be recommending it to everyone I can."
"The course refreshed my interest in building science, renewed my interest in the specifics of building enclosure systems, details, and products and raised my skill set and confidence with ASHRAE guidelines, ASTM standards, and testing protocols."

Commissioning Building Enclosure Assemblies and Systems

2027 and later

Who Should Attend?

What You Will Learn

Course Details: RA01167-E232

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Course Administration

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Stay Connected

Course Details: RA01167-E241

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Expanded accordion Location and Lodging

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Expanded accordion Instructors and Program Director

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Course Administration

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Stay Connected

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