Use of the ASME Codes in Designing Type B Shipping Packages for the DOE

The Code of Federal Regulations1 states that the effects of the normal condition of transport loads and the hypothetical accident condition loads “must be evaluated by subjecting a specimen or scale model to a specific test, or by another method of demonstration acceptable to the Commission.” In Regulatory Guide 7.6, Design Criteria for the Structural Analysis of Shipping Cask Containment Vessels,2 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) indicates that portions of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code3 “form acceptable design criteria for shipping cask containment vessels.” It also points out, however, that the Code does not present adequate criteria for bolted closures, particularly for their response to impact loading, or criteria to prevent brittle fracture. In a similar fashion, NUREG/CR-38544 and NUREG/CR-30195 indicate that several portions of the ASME Code provide acceptable criteria for the fabrication of shipping package components. This paper will furnish guidance for selecting the appropriate ASME Code and Code Sections or Subsections, including NUPAC (Section III, Division 3), for the design and fabrication of various packaging components. In addition, areas not currently covered by existing codes or standards will be addressed and appropriate criteria will be suggested.