STANDARDIZING BOOM TEST PROCEDURES1

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Interagency Technical Committee (OITC) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank (OHMSETT) facility sponsored a combined series of in-tank and open-water tests on five booms. The booms selected cover the wide range of sizes and design parameters often considered appropriate for spill control. The tests were conducted at the OHMSETT facility and in nearby Sandy Hook Bay between November 1983 and May 1984. The in-tank tests measured the oil-holding performance of the boom; the open-water tests demonstrated wave conformance and survivability. The objective was to correlate the two sets of data. The five in-tank tests for each boom used a standardized test matrix for oil-holding ability. Wave conformance and endurance were observed under controlled conditions. The results of this testing compared favorably with historical tests performed in the test task. The five booms were deployed in the bay over an extended period. The length of deployment varied from 14 to 27 days depending on the local weather conditions. The booms were observed and videotaped to document approximate sea-state limits of the booms. The booms deployed in the bay were approximately 500 ft long. The tank tests used 100 ft lengths. Wave conformance in the two tests was similar. The five-fold increase in boom length made any lack of conformance more obvious, however. The data derived from the open-water testing were based primarily on visual observations and sea-state estimates. The in-tank endurance tests did not correlate as well as expected with the open-water testing. Determining the deterioration of a boom during long-term deployment by in-tank testing was discounted by this program. This paper documents the results of the initial in-tank and open-water tests, emphasizing the techniques of testing, and outlines plans for the future tests.