Allied Member — American Institute of Architects
Your Combustible Dust Spec.
Done Right Before CD.
Most design teams wait until construction documents to think about dust collection. That’s when options run out and change orders start. Loop us in at schematic — and your design accounts for DHA requirements, explosion venting, and collector space before any of it becomes someone’s problem.
Why Do Design Teams Keep Getting Surprised by Combustible Dust Requirements?
NFPA 660 is the current unified combustible dust standard, enforceable as of January 1, 2026. It consolidates the former standards — 652, 654, 68, 664 — into one code. The biggest change for design teams: the owner must complete a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) for any facility handling combustible dust. Your building has to be designed to accommodate whatever that DHA requires.
That means vent locations, collector space, structural reinforcement for vent panels, housekeeping access paths, and utility routing for pulse-cleaning systems. Get it wrong at schematic and you’re looking at change orders, permit delays, redesign fees, or worse — liability after occupancy.
It happens more than it should. The mechanical engineer sizes the collector based on old rules. The architect places it where it won’t fit once explosion vents are added. The structural engineer never gets the loading data. Everyone points fingers. One call at schematic prevents all of it.
When Is the Right Time to Involve Us?
Schematic Design
Your design still has maximum flexibility. We can influence mechanical room size, roof and wall space for explosion vents, structural loading, housekeeping access paths, and utility routing before anything is locked.
Design Development
Still workable, but your options shrink. Equipment locations are usually set. We can provide Revit families, spec sections, and guidance — but major changes get expensive from here.
Construction Documents
We’re responding to RFIs and turning submittals. Significant scope changes trigger change orders. Your client won’t be happy — and neither will you.
Do Architects Have to Provide or Stamp the DHA?
No. NFPA 660 is clear: the owner — or a qualified third party — is responsible for completing the dust hazard analysis. Architects and engineers are not required to write or stamp it.
But your downstream responsibility is real. Your building has to accommodate whatever the DHA ultimately requires — roof and wall space for venting, structural capacity for vent panels, room for collectors and duct risers, access for housekeeping, routing for suppression or isolation valves. If the DHA says “needs 12 m² of venting on the roof” and there’s no roof space in your drawings, you’re in change-order territory.
That’s where early involvement matters. We facilitate the data collection — dust type, process volumes, housekeeping practices — and give your team the guidance it needs before permitting locks you in. No guesswork, no surprises at permit.
Allied Member — American Institute of Architects
What Your Design Team Receives From Us
Engineering Documentation
Lab-tested Kst/Pmax data, NFPA 68 vent sizing calculations, placement recommendations, and structural loading notes your licensed PE can review and stamp. We prepare everything — your engineer signs off.
BIM / Revit Families
Parametric families for cartridge collectors, baghouses, ductwork, and explosion vents. Accurate dimensions, clearance zones, and shared scheduling parameters. LOD 300–400, Revit 2020+.
Specification Packages
Complete three-part CSI MasterFormat specs (Section 23 40 00). Customized for your dust type — wood, metal, food, pharma — with performance requirements, submittals, QA, and warranty terms. Drop directly into your project manual.
Submittal & RFI Support
Submittals returned within 48 hours. RFI responses same day when possible. When your project is in construction you get a direct line — not a support ticket. Your schedule is our schedule.
Whether You’re Drawing the Building or Writing the Spec
Architects and MEP engineers need different things from us at different phases. Here’s exactly how we work with each.
Your design needs to accommodate the DHA before your layout is locked.
We work with your project architect from schematic design to make sure the building layout can support whatever NFPA 660 ultimately requires — mechanical room sizing, roof and wall space for explosion vents, structural loading for vent panels, and housekeeping clearances.
- Schematic-stage DHA scope consultation — no charge
- Space and clearance requirements for your drawings
- Explosion vent sizing and placement guidance
- AHJ expectations across AZ, CA, NV, NM, and UT
- Revit families ready for coordination
You write the spec. We make sure it works — and we’ll be there when the RFIs hit.
Your mechanical spec drives the contractor’s selection. If Section 23 40 00 isn’t written tight, you end up with submittals that don’t match what the DHA requires — or equipment that can’t be installed where it was drawn.
- Section 23 40 00 spec sections customized for your dust type
- CFM sizing guidance by process and dust classification
- NFPA 68 vent sizing calculations (Pred = 0.1 bar)
- Revit families — LOD 300–400, Revit 2020+
- 48-hr submittal turnaround, same-day RFI response
Common Kst & Pmax Values (NFPA 660 Context)
| Material | Kst (bar·m/s) | Pmax (bar) | St-Class | Typical Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Dust (pine, oak, MDF) | 100–224 | 8.0–9.5 | St 1–2 | Venting or suppression; isolation often required |
| Aluminum | 400–600 | 11.0–12.5 | St 3 | Suppression or isolation mandatory; venting limited |
| Sugar | 100–300 | 8.5–9.5 | St 1–2 | Venting common; suppression for enclosed systems |
| Flour (wheat) | 60–300 | 8.0–9.5 | St 1–2 | Venting or suppression; housekeeping critical |
| Cornstarch | 100–200 | 8.0–9.0 | St 1–2 | Venting common; suppression for enclosed systems |
| Phenolic Resin | 200–400 | 9.0–10.5 | St 2–3 | Suppression or flameless venting |
NFPA 68 Explosion Vent Sizing Examples (Pred = 0.1 bar)
| Enclosure Volume (m³) | Kst ≤ 200 | Kst ≤ 300 | Kst ≤ 400 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0.8 m² | 1.1 m² | 1.5 m² |
| 50 | 2.8 m² | 4.0 m² | 5.5 m² |
| 100 | 4.5 m² | 6.5 m² | 9.0 m² |
| 500 | 12.0 m² | 18.0 m² | 25.0 m² |
Need expanded Kst tables? Download the free Spec Starter Kit below. For full explosion severity data, see our Kst values guide.
Which Facility Types Do We Work With?
Your project may involve woodworking facilities, metal fabrication shops, food manufacturing plants, pharmaceutical cleanrooms, aerospace composites operations, or battery manufacturing facilities. We’ve coordinated DHA facilitation and compliance packages across all of these.
Common dust types include wood (pine, oak, MDF), metal (aluminum, titanium, steel), food powders (flour, sugar, starch), pharmaceutical APIs, carbon fiber, and lithium compounds.
Your team will be navigating local building codes, fire marshal requirements, and AHJ expectations that vary across Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. We know each state’s AHJ expectations and flag issues before they hit permitting.
We Come to Your Office.
We Bring Lunch. We Talk NFPA 660.
Your team gets a clear picture of what combustible dust compliance actually requires from architects and MEP engineers — with real project examples, a spec walkthrough, and the starter kit to keep. No sales pitch during the presentation. That part comes after, if you want it.
Allied Member — American Institute of Architects
In-Person or Virtual
We come to your office across AZ, CA, NV, NM, and UT — or join your team by video call if that works better.
One Hour, No Fluff
Focused on what design teams actually need to know — timing, space planning, DHA scope, and spec writing. Not a product brochure.
Take-Home Spec Kit
Every attendee gets the printed spec starter kit — Kst tables, DHA checklist, Section 23 40 00 template, and NFPA 68 vent sizing reference.
What the presentation covers
- What NFPA 660 actually requires from design teams — not just the owner
- When to involve a dust collection specialist and what to ask for
- Space planning and structural considerations for collectors and explosion vents
- How to read a DHA and translate it into your drawings
- Real project examples — what went right and what cost someone a change order
- CSI Section 23 40 00 walkthrough and common spec mistakes
Book Your Lunch & Learn
We’ll confirm availability and follow up within one business day.
When Your Project May Not Need Our Involvement
Not every project with dust collection requires early specialist coordination. If your facility handles only non-combustible dusts — nuisance particulate, HVAC filtration, or light housekeeping dust — standard mechanical specs and a competent MEP engineer are likely sufficient without bringing us in at schematic.
Similarly, if your project is a small tenant improvement in an existing facility where dust collection is already designed and installed, there’s probably nothing for us to contribute at the design stage. A maintenance assessment is the right first call in that scenario. See our maintenance and service page for that path.
If you’re not sure whether your project involves combustible dust, that question itself is worth a 15-minute call. We’ll tell you honestly whether you need us or not.
Get Your Free Architect Spec Starter Kit
Expanded Kst tables, DHA questionnaire, Section 23 40 00 spec template, NFPA 68 vent sizing reference, and AHJ checklist — delivered to your inbox instantly.
Have an active project?
Register it for early-stage review — no charge.
If you have a project in schematic or design development that involves combustible dust, include your project name and phase in the form above. We’ll review the scope and follow up with specific guidance before your layout is locked.
Schedule a 15-Minute Project Review →Allied Member — American Institute of Architects
Working on a Project with Combustible Dust?
Loop us in at schematic and your design will account for DHA requirements, explosion protection, vent sizing, and collector space — before any of it becomes a change order.
Serving manufacturing facilities across Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.