The New BAM Drop Test Facility for Big Full-Scale Casks

The Federal Institute for materials research and testing (BAM), Germany, constructed in 2004 a new drop test facility that allows drop testing of full-scale spent fuel and HLW casks of the new generation. Due to improved cost-benefit relation these cask are designed to larger dimensions and higher total mass of the transport package. Additionally, since these casks are designed to serve as dual purpose cask for transport and long-term interim storage, full-scale drop testing has been taken under consideration within appropriate testing of those new designs. The new BAM drop test facility is constructed for test objects with a mass up to 200,000 kg and provides the capability for lifting and dropping in any desired orientation from a height of 9 m or more.