SPECIAL INVESTIGATION REPORT--TANK CAR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AFTER DERAILMENT

Since 1968, the Safety Board has investigated many serious accidents involving release of hazardous materials from tank cars which were either breached or ruptured following derailments. As a result of these investigations, the Safety Board recommended that Federal authorities take remedial action to reduce the likelihood of tank cars releasing their contents in the derailment environment. During its investigation of a railroad derailment near Inwood, Indiana, on November 8, 1979, the Safety Board noted unresolved questions about the dangers posed in handling severely damaged tank cars containing liquefied flammable gases at the accident site. Because of this continuing problem, the Safety Board initiated this special investigation to identify the hazards caused by the actual reduction of the ability of damaged cars to contain their lading; to determine the ability of experts to estimate this reduced capability; and to examine the feasibility of developing practical guidelines to help determine how damaged hazardous materials tank cars should be handled.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Bureau of Technology, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1980-10-16

Media Info

• Pagination: 42 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cargo handling; Crash investigation; Deformation; Derailments; Disasters and emergency operations; Explosions; Fires; Flammable materials; Fracture mechanics; Gases; Hazardous materials; Head; Liquefied gases; Loss and damage; Machine valves; Metallurgy; Nondestructive tests; Pressure; Railroad cars; Railroad safety; Railroad transportation; Safety; Safety hats; Structural analysis; Tank cars; Tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Damage analysis; Emergency procedures; Flammable gases; Head shields
• Geographic Terms: Indiana
• Old TRIS Terms: Pressure control valves; Safe handling; Tank car heads; Tank car safety
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00336067
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-SIR-80-1
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 21 1981 12:00AM