Embedded Commissioning of Building Systems

For all the innovation in building principles and techniques these days, especially regarding environmental and resource issues, there is no reliable way to measure a building's performance, says Akin (architecture, Carnegie Mellon U.). He proposes embedded commissioning as an approach that might be applied in the future. It is an information-based digital technology applied longitudinally to the building life-cycle process. The goal is to embed every stage of the capital project delivery process, from requirements specification to operation, with interoperable and persistent information. He begins by making a case for building evaluation generally and embedded commissioning in particular. Then he places the approach in the context of a variety of tools and technology currently available or expected soon. A final section discusses emerging research findings in such areas as sensor networks, field tools, and wearable computers. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)