Historical Background – Early Deliberations on and Assessments of the Need for a Dynamic Crush Test - Presentation

Beginning 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, provides an overview of some of the very early thinking behind the crush test. It includes a graphic demonstration that was used at the time to demonstrate the concerns that then existed. It also provides a brief review of the results of various tests performed in the US, UK and Canada from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s.