FINAL PHASE 09 REPORT ON TANKS, FITTINGS, AND ATTACHMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL ENVIRONMENT OF ACCIDENTS

Phase 09 of the RPI-AAR Tank Car Safety Research and Test Project concerns the behavior of tank car tanks and their appurtenances in the mechanical environment of railroad accidents. Thus, the items treated under this Phase 09 are: Tank shell - the portion of the tank between the heads, Tank fittings - the appurtenances attached to the tank shell and heads which are associated with openings through the vessel wall, and tank attachments - appurtenances attached to the tank shell and heads which are not associated with openings through the vessel wall. As an underlying principle, in the cost/benefit analyses under this study, the benefit values of design improvements, such as protective devices or "shields," are developed from accident data only from cases involving lading loss, the total dollar losses being the value of the lost lading plus that of subsequent losses caused by the lading loss. The cost of mechanical damage itself to shells or appurtenances is not considered reducible by a design change, it being assumed that the cost of repairing the "shield" is the same as that of repairing the unshielded item. Following the statement of the objective, the report comprises four main sections: (1) review of typical current tank car shell and appurtenance designs, (2) review and analysis of accident data, (3) discussion and conclusions, and (4) recommendations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • An RPI-AAR Cooperative Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Authors:
  • Reedy, C E
  • PHILLIPS, E A
• Publication Date: 0

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 88 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Derailments; Failure; Loss and damage; Protection; Safety equipment; Surveys; Tank cars; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Damage analysis
• Old TRIS Terms: Protective devices; Tank car design; Tank car safety research and test project
• Subject Areas: Design; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080289
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-147
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 29 1976 12:00AM