Then automatically calculate pressure drops for entire duct networks.

The ASHRAE Duct Fitting Database is not free software. It is available for purchase through the ASHRAE Bookstore (www.ashrae.org) as a digital download or USB drive. Pricing is typically:

Suppose a site measurement shows total static pressure 0.6 in. w.g. above design value. Using the database, you can systematically check each fitting's design C vs. as-built conditions. A common discovery: short-radius elbows installed instead of long-radius, raising C from 0.15 to 0.45.

Earlier versions contained occasional rounding errors or mismatched reference velocities. Version 6.00.05 underwent rigorous peer validation. It synchronizes all coefficients with ASHRAE Research Project 1701 (Updating the Duct Fitting Database), ensuring that loss coefficients for identical geometries from different sources now match.

However, no release date has been set for 7.0. Therefore,

Advanced fluid dynamics software supports importing loss coefficients from the DFDB. Ensure you map the correct reference area and velocity index.

Through plugins like Stabicad or Fabrication CADmep , you can map the DFDB version 6.00.05 coefficients directly to your ductwork model. The API typically requires you to point to the .mdb file path. Revit’s "Mechanical Settings" → "Duct Fitting Pressure Drop" can reference the database if an appropriate dynamo script or add-in is used.

Modern design software (AutoCAD, Revit, TRACE 3D Plus, Trane Duct Designer, and Carrier HAP) often references the DFDB. Version 6.00.05 features a cleaner relational schema, making it easier for developers to query loss coefficients via SQL or REST APIs directly from the database. This means your Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflow can now auto-populate pressure drop calculations without manual coefficient lookups.