Development of Type C package for AWE

The implementation of the new 1996 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive material TS-R-1, require that materials in a dispersible form and above 3000A2 transported by air shall be carried in a Type C packaging. The Type C requires greater impact resistance than a Type B and has to withstand a longer thermal test. This paper sets out to detail the work conducted to date and the operating philosophy of the design. The design brief was to prepare a design which utilised (as far as possible) an existing Type B(U)F packaging, GB3405A. This was designed in the late 1980’s and has become an AWE workhorse for transporting RAM in a variety of forms. In addition ideally, the approval of the GB3405A should not be compromised and if modifications to GB3405A were required, then read across from existing data could be made together with reasoned argument to gain approval of the modified GB3405A as a Type B(U)F without performing the Type B tests.