EXTENSION STUDY OF TANK CAR BOTTOM FITTINGS - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. PHASE 09 REPORT

In its previous study of accident data over the 1965-1970 period, the RPI-AAR Tank Car Safety Project found that the most vulnerable tank car fitting was the bottom outlet on stub-sill non-insulated non-pressure class 111A cars. However, no cost-effective means were found to protect these outlets. In the final report RA-09-1-24, it was stated that with more current accident data and additional design ingenuity, this cost effectiveness picture may be altered. As a result, this Phase 09 extension effort was undertaken. Comprehensive studies were made of: 1) All accidents involving damage to bottom fittings during the 3 year period 1971-1973 2) Current designs of bottom fittings 3) Populations of tank cars with various bottom fitting designs 4) Numerous design solutions to reduce bottom fittings vulnerability (26 for new cars and 19 for existing cars) 5) Current tank car shipper/receiver practices and philosophies regarding top and bottom loading and unloading of tank cars. With this background, cost-effectiveness calcualtions were made for solutions for all classes of cars. As found previously, the cars with the most vulnerable bottom fittings were the stub sill cars.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Direct requests to the Project Directors Office, Earl Phillips.
• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Authors:
  • PHILLIPS, E A
• Publication Date: 1974-5-31

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 111 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Fittings; Hazardous materials; Railroad safety; Tank cars; Vehicle design
• Old TRIS Terms: Bottom fittings; Tank car design; Tank car safety; Tank car safety research and test project
• Subject Areas: Design; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080370
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-161 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 11 1976 12:00AM