Abstract
Shipping containers for radioactive materials are required to retain integrity under accident conditions, which may be jeopardised by brittle fracture of the containment system. Internationally agreed criteria for the safe design of shipping containers with respect to brittle fracture are not yet part of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials. By adaption of relevant portions of the ASME Code it is possible to propose criteria based upon classic fracture mechanics and using generally agreed standardised materials fracture toughness data, or, in the case of ‘new’ materials, lower bound or 3σ-values. The need for safety demonstrations is discussed; in particular, drop testing of pre-cracked prototypes. It is shown that such investigations should not be part of licensing procedures.
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