Understanding Dust Collection in Today’s Precast Plants
Understanding Dust Collection in Today’s Precast Plants
At C&W DustTech, we’re backed by more than 45 years of experience installing dust collection systems tailored to the demands of the Ready-Mix and Concrete industries. We know first-hand the regulatory compliance and safety challenges operators must balance with the growing demand to increase job site efficiency.
The same pressures are especially pronounced in Precast Concrete operations, where dust is generated at nearly every stage of the process. Precast production generates significant dust at every stage, a problem that will grow into larger operational challenges if operators aren’t thinking proactively. Fugitive dust threatens the health and safety of your workers while increasing the risk of equipment failure and shutdowns. In this Q&A, Regional Sales Manager Joshua Starnes discusses the unique challenges of dust collection at Precast sites and how C&W’s engineering experts can help find scalable solutions for your specific work environment.
In a typical Precast facility, where do you see the highest concentrations of dust?
Although an entire Precast Concrete production facility may be full of dust, it is generally produced at only a few discrete points. These typically include the mixer, scale and storage bins. In Concrete Block factories, there may also be dusting points where the plates are cleaned and the blocks are prepared for shipping.
What are the biggest operational challenges facing Precast and Formed Concrete producers today? How does dust collection help solve these challenges?
There are several operational challenges Precast and Concrete operations must navigate. Along with environmental concerns, dust is a constant nuisance that impacts cleanliness, visibility, maintenance and accuracy. Most importantly, dust is a respirable hazard that makes the job dangerous and undesirable.
We offer a full range of Central, Silo, Conveyor and Mobile Collectors that capture up to 99.9% of fugitive dust.
How does dust behave differently in Precast operations compared to other Concrete operations?
Dust generated in other Concrete operations, like Ready-Mix, behaves in a more controlled manner when compared to dust generated at Precast operations. Ready-Mix sites typically have a single, discreet loadout point that is controlled with a standard dust collection system. Precast generally has a lot more variables based on the needs of the plant.
At a Precast site, there is typically a raw material handling area and a batching and mixing area, where large amounts of dust are created. Constant sawing and grinding are two other dust-generating activities that can produce respirable dust. Process variables including how materials are moved from one point to another, wind speed and temperature also impact how much dust is created at a Precast site. As processes are changed and updated, dust collection may no longer work as originally intended.
How has the conversation around dust collection in this industry evolved?
Recently, the conversation around dust collection has evolved to focus on respirable silica. In the past, dust was considered a nuisance and the thinking around worker health was “wear a respirator if you want to” except in the most obvious of production areas. Today, the tolerance by the public, regulators and workforce has dramatically reduced.
Silica sources that have not been heavily regulated in the past, including aggregate and production dust, have also become bigger focal points. This is opposed to solely focusing on storage bins and loadouts.
What regulations should Precast operators be aware of as environmental restrictions continue to tighten?
There are several dust-related rules operators need to be aware of, especially the stricter regulations surrounding silica. Respirable silica is a proven hazard no matter where it originates from. Cement dust, griding particles, aggregate dust and even yard and pile dust produce silica. The key questions operators should ask themselves to ensure they are compliant with growing regulations around silica include:
What concentration of respirable silica does your site produce?- What do local regulations specify in regard to a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable silica?
- Are the existing dust control measures we have in place actually effective?
What concentration of respirable silica does your site produce?Beyond employee health regulations, operators must also consider local, regional and federal requirements related to air and water quality. When materials from Precast operations migrate beyond controlled areas – whether as airborne dust or runoff – they can contaminate surrounding environments, leading to compliance issues and potentially significant fines.
We know that in the year ahead, Precast producers will be focused on airflow design, right-sized collectors and system balance to reduce energy use and improve day-to-day performance. How can C&W help producers achieve these goals?
C&W has a long history of success in the Ready-Mix, Precast, Cement, Aggregates and Mining industries. We bring decades of experience in creating expertly engineered dust collection solutions based on your specific metrics. Our main focus is identifying the right clean air technologies for your operations, helping you safeguard employees, keep production up and running and avoid fines due to regulatory non-compliance.
Concrete products have a unique set of characteristics that make one-size-fits-all dust collection ineffective. We have solutions designed for the specific equipment and processes that make up a Precast facility, as well as the experience to navigate the changing demands and processes impacting the future effectiveness of a solution. C&W’s dust collection technologies are smaller and more efficient because they have been customized for each site and the kind of dust being generated.
Joshua Starnes, Regional Sales Manager
Joshua has worked for C&W DustTech for more than a decade, becoming the company’s go-to expert for dust collection within the Concrete, Precast and Ready-Mix industries.
As a Regional Sales Manager, he travels to meet clients where they’re at, examining their job sites and helping create straightforward solutions to complex environmental compliance issues. Joshua’s territory includes the western United States and Canada.
He’s an expert at understanding each company’s unique needs and application. Joshua is committed to crafting innovative dust collection solutions that create a lasting impact. Joshua is particularly passionate about Environmental and Worker Safety. When he’s not traveling, he’s out enjoying everything the Montana outdoors has to offer.
