Historical background: early deliberations on and assessments of need for dynamic crush test

Abstract

AbstractBeginning in the late 1970s, discussions were fostered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the need for additional tests for some type B packages. Consideration at the international level of these early deliberations and tests ultimately led to the inclusion in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material of the third mechanical (drop) test for demonstrating the ability of the package design to withstand accident conditions of transport, commonly known as the ‘dynamic crush test’. This test included the requirement that the package be positioned so as to sustain maximum damage. Recently discussions have been occurring as to what constitutes positioning on an unyielding target, where considerations are being put forward for clarifying this phrasing and possibly changing the test requirement. Some of these proposed changes could make the test more demanding than originally envisioned. This paper, developed in support of a panel discussion at PATRAM 2010, provid...