Hello everyone,

In the last post, I gave a general overview of what technical monitoring is. Today, I will explain how to properly outsource the services of technical monitoring. It’s actually very simple if you don’t fall into the trap of reinventing the wheel every time. The AMEV Recommendation 158 provides a very clear description of the entire scope of services (https://www.amev-online.de/AMEVInhalt/Planen/Monitoring/TechnischesM/).

The scope of services is roughly divided into two parts. The first part describes, in the basic services, all the important tasks of technical monitoring according to the service phases of HOAI (Official Fee Structure for Architects and Engineers in Germany).

The Scope of Services in AMEV 158 Technical Monitoring

The work starts, if possible, in phase 3, i.e., during the design planning. The overarching goal is to develop the monitoring concept with two subgoals: first, deriving the functional goals of the technical systems from the planning of the building, and second, creating the foundations for their testing during a trial operation before the official handover. The scope of systems and functions to be tested is precisely defined in the new Recommendation 158. The appendix of the recommendation defines data points for about 20 typical systems, for which, on the one hand, values are to be derived from the planning, and on the other hand, values are to be recorded as measurements through building automation. This makes it very clear to all parties involved the extent and depth to which technical monitoring examines the quality of system functions.

As per the service phases of HOAI, during the execution planning (phase 5), the monitoring concept is simply updated and, if necessary, adjusted. Additionally, technical monitoring supports the specialist planning team in creating relevant specifications, such as for data transfer or the execution of trial operations.

Exciting Phase 8: Trial Operations

Things get interesting in phase 8: This is when trial operations take place. Trial operation means that the system is operated automatically, across trades, for a period of usually one to two weeks. During this time, operational data is captured through building automation and then checked against the functional goals derived from the planning. Any unacceptable deviations that become visible during the trial operation are documented as construction defects and can be corrected before the official handover.

The Closed Quality Feedback Loop

With that, the quality feedback loop is initially closed: the operation of the building was tested against the plan. Of course, the use of this initial effort does not end here. The modeling of building operations and data collection can continue to be used for ongoing monitoring of the building and system operations in regular operation.

Practical Tips for Owners:

From our projects, I would like to add a few practical recommendations:

  • Only outsource services you understand! Initially, limit yourself to the basic services of technical monitoring. The additional services in AMEV 158 are more related to commissioning management and are much harder to handle.
  • Include the central documents on the technical systems (overview schematics and functional descriptions for heating, cooling, and ventilation) in the tender so that the providers can accurately calculate the scope of services.
  • Technical monitoring can be easily digitized and requires very few on-site appointments. To take advantage of these cost benefits, you should clearly outline your expectations regarding on-site appointments for each stage or service phase in the tender. TMon projects often run over several years, so a reliable calculation basis for both parties is important.

The scope of services in the AMEV 158 appendix can be directly used for tenders. I’ve also attached another good example from one of our projects, which is very well-suited for accurate cost calculations.

That’s it for today, see you next time!

Stefan Plesser