49 CFR -
CHAPTER I -
PART 178
§ 178.274 Specifications for UN portable tanks.
(a) General. (1) Each UN portable tank must meet the requirements of this section. In addition to the requirements of this section, requirements specific to UN portable tanks used for liquid and solid hazardous materials, non-refrigerated liquefied gases and refrigerated liquefied gases are provided in §§ 178.275, 178.276 and 178.277, respectively. Requirements for approval, maintenance, inspection, testing and use are provided in § 178.273 and part 180, subpart G, of this subchapter. Any portable tank which meets the definition of a "container" within the terms of the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) must meet the requirements of the CSC as amended and 49 CFR parts 450 through 453 and must have a CSC safety approval plate.
(2) In recognition of scientific and technological advances, the technical requirements applicable to UN portable tanks may be varied if approved by the Associate Administrator and the portable tank is shown to provide a level of safety equal to or exceeding the requirements of this subchapter. Portable tanks approved to alternative technical requirements must be marked "Alternative Arrangement" as specified in paragraph (i) of this section.
(3) Definitions. The following definitions apply for the purposes of design and construction of UN portable tanks under this subpart:
Alternate Arrangement portable tank means a UN portable tank that has been approved to alternative technical requirements or testing methods other than those specified for UN portable tanks in part 178 or part 180 of this subchapter.
Approval agency means the designated approval agency authorized to approve the portable tank in accordance with the procedures in subpart E of part 107 of this subchapter.
Design pressure is defined according to the hazardous materials intended to be transported in the portable tank. See §§ 178.275, 178.276 and 178.277, as applicable.
Design type means a portable tank or series of portable tanks made of materials of the same material specifications and thicknesses, manufactured by a single manufacturer, using the same fabrication techniques (for example, welding procedures) and made with equivalent structural equipment, closures, and service equipment.
Fine grain steel means steel which has a ferritic grain size of 6 or finer when determined in accordance with ASTM E 112-96 (see § 171.7 of this subchapter).
Fusible element means a non-reclosing pressure relief device that is thermally activated and that provides protection against excessive pressure buildup in the portable tank developed by exposure to heat, such as from a fire (see § 178.275(g)).
Jacket means the outer insulation cover or cladding which may be part of the insulation system.
Leakage test means a test using gas to subject the shell and its service equipment to an internal pressure.
Maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) is defined according to the hazardous materials intended to be transported in the portable tank. See §§ 178.275, 178.276 and 178.277, as applicable.
Maximum permissible gross mass (MPGM) means the sum of the tare mass of the portable tank and the heaviest hazardous material authorized for transportation.
Mild steel means a steel with a guaranteed minimum tensile strength of 360 N/mm
2 to 440 N/mm
2 and a guaranteed minimum elongation at fracture as specified in paragraph (c)(10) of this section.
Offshore portable tank means a portable tank specially designed for repeated use in the transportation of hazardous materials to, from and between offshore facilities. An offshore portable tank is designed and constructed in accordance with the Guidelines for the Approval of Containers Handled in Open Seas specified in the IMDG Code (see § 171.7 of this subchapter).
Reference steel means a steel with a tensile strength of 370 N/mm
2 and an elongation at fracture of 27%.
Service equipment means measuring instruments and filling, discharge, venting, safety, heating, cooling and insulating devices.
Shell means the part of the portable tank which retains the hazardous materials intended for transportation, including openings and closures, but does not include service equipment or external structural equipment.
Structural equipment means the reinforcing, fastening, protective and stabilizing members external to the shell.
Test pressure means the maximum gauge pressure at the top of the shell during the hydraulic pressure test equal to not less than 1.5 times the design pressure for liquids and 1.3 for liquefied compressed gases and refrigerated liquefied gases. In some instances a pneumatic test is authorized as an alternative to the hydraulic test. The minimum test pressures for portable tanks intended for specific liquid and solid hazardous materials are specified in the applicable portable tank T codes (such as T1-T23) assigned to these hazardous materials in the § 172.101 Table of this subchapter.
(b) General design and construction requirements. (1) The design temperature range for the shell must be −40 °C to 50 °C (−40 °F to 122 °F) for hazardous materials transported under normal conditions of transportation, except for portable tanks used for refrigerated liquefied gases where the minimum design temperature must not be higher than the lowest (coldest) temperature (for example, service temperature) of the contents during filling, discharge or transportation. For hazardous materials handled under elevated temperature conditions, the design temperature must not be less than the maximum temperature of the hazardous material during filling, discharge or transportation. More severe design temperatures must be considered for portable tanks subjected to severe climatic conditions (for example, portable tanks transported in arctic regions). Shells must be designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of the ASME Code, Section VIII, Division 1 (see § 171.7 of this subchapter), except as limited or modified in this subchapter. For portable tanks used for liquid or solid hazardous materials, a design code other than the ASME Code may be used if approved by the Associate Administrator. Portable tanks used for non-refrigerated and refrigerated liquified compressed gases require an ASME certification and U stamp. Shells must be made of metallic materials suitable for forming. Non-metallic materials may be used for the attachments and supports between the shell and jacket, provided their material properties at the minimum and maximum design temperatures are proven to be sufficient. For welded shells, only a material whose weldability has been fully demonstrated may be used. Welds must be of high quality and conform to a level of integrity at least equivalent to the welding requirements specified in Section VIII of the ASME Code for the welding of pressure vessels. When the manufacturing process or the materials make it necessary, the shells must be suitably heat-treated to guarantee adequate toughness in the weld and in the heat-affected zones. In choosing the material, the design temperature range must be taken into account with respect to risk of brittle fracture, stress corrosion cracking, resistance to impact, and suitability for the hazardous materials intended for transportation in the portable tank. When fine grain steel is used, the guaranteed value of the yield strength must be not more than 460 N/mm
2 and the guaranteed value of the upper limit of the tensile strength must be not more than 725 N/mm
2 according to the material specification. Aluminum may not be used as a construction material for the shells of portable tanks intended for the transport of non-refrigerated liquefied gases. For portable tanks intended for the transport of liquid or solid hazardous materials, aluminum may only
be used as a construction material for portable tank shells if approved by the Associate Administrator. Portable tank materials must be suitable for the external environment where they will be transported, taking into account the determined design temperature range. Portable tanks shall be designed to withstand, without loss of contents, at least the internal pressure due to the contents and the static, dynamic and thermal loads during normal conditions of handling and transportation. The design must take into account the effects of fatigue, caused by repeated application of these loads through the expected life of the portable tank.
(2) Portable tank shells, fittings, and pipework shall be constructed from materials that are:
(i) Compatible with the hazardous materials intended to be transported; or
(ii) Properly passivated or neutralized by chemical reaction, if applicable; or
(iii) For portable tanks used for liquid and solid materials, lined with corrosion-resistant material directly bonded to the shell or attached by equivalent means.
(3) Gaskets and seals shall be made of materials that are compatible with the hazardous materials intended to be transported.
(4) When shells are lined, the lining must be compatible with the hazardous materials intended to be transported, homogeneous, non-porous, free from perforations, sufficiently elastic and compatible with the thermal expansion characteristics of the shell. The lining of every shell, shell fittings and piping must be continuous and must extend around the face of any flange. Where external fittings are welded to the tank, the lining must be continuous through the fitting and around the face of external flanges. Joints and seams in the lining must be made by fusing the material together or by other equally effective means.
(5) Contact between dissimilar metals which could result in damage by galvanic action must be prevented by appropriate measures.
(6) The construction materials of the portable tank, including any devices, gaskets, linings and accessories, must not adversely affect or react with the hazardous materials intended to be transported in the portable tank.
(7) Portable tanks must be designed and constructed with supports that provide a secure base during transportation and with suitable lifting and tie-down attachments.
(c) Design criteria. (1) Portable tanks and their fastenings must, under the maximum permissible loads and maximum permissible working pressures, be capable of absorbing the following separately applied static forces (for calculation purposes, acceleration due to gravity (g) =9.81m/s
2):
(i) In the direction of travel: 2g (twice the MPGM multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity);
(ii) Horizontally at right angles to the direction of travel: 1g (the MPGM multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity);
(iii) Vertically upwards: 1g (the MPGM multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity); and
(iv) Vertically downwards: 2g (twice the MPGM multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity).
(2) Under each of the forces specified in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the safety factor must be as follows:
(i) For metals having a clearly defined yield point, a design margin of 1.5 in relation to the guaranteed yield strength; or
(ii) For metals with no clearly defined yield point, a design margin of 1.5 in relation to the guaranteed 0.2% proof strength and, for austenitic steels, the 1% proof strength.
(3) The values of yield strength or proof strength must be the values according to recognized material standards. When austenitic steels are used, the specified minimum values of yield strength or proof strength according to the material standards may be increased by up to 15% for portable tanks used for liquid and solid hazardous materials, other than toxic by inhalation liquids meeting the criteria of Hazard Zone A or Hazard Zone B (see § 173.133 of this subchapter), when these greater values are attested in the material inspection certificate.
(4) Portable tanks must be capable of being electrically grounded to prevent dangerous electrostatic discharge when
they are used for Class 2 flammable gases or Class 3 flammable liquids, including elevated temperature materials transported at or above their flash point.
(5) For shells of portable tanks used for liquefied compressed gases, the shell must consist of a circular cross section. Shells must be of a design capable of being stress-analysed mathematically or experimentally by resistance strain gauges as specified in UG-101, Section VIII of the ASME Code (see § 171.7 of this subchapter), or other methods approved by the Associate Administrator.
(6) Shells must be designed and constructed to withstand a hydraulic test pressure of not less than 1.5 times the design pressure for portable tanks used for liquids and 1.3 times the design pressure for portable tanks used for liquefied compressed gases. Specific requirements are provided for each hazardous material in the applicable T Code or portable tank special provision specified in the § 172.101 Table of this subchapter. The minimum shell thickness requirements must also be taken into account.
(7) For metals exhibiting a clearly defined yield point or characterized by a guaranteed proof strength (0.2% proof strength, generally, or 1% proof strength for austenitic steels), the primary membrane stress σ (sigma) in the shell must not exceed 0.75 Re or 0.50 Rm, whichever is lower, at the test pressure, where:
Re = yield strength in N/mm2, or 0.2% proof strength or, for austenitic steels, 1% proof strength;
Rm = minimum tensile strength in N/mm
2.
(8) The values of Re and Rm to be used must be the specified minimum values according to recognized material standards. When austenitic steels are used, the specified minimum values for Re and Rm according to the material standards may be increased by up to 15% when greater values are attested in the material inspection certificate.
(9) Steels which have a Re/Rm ratio of more than 0.85 are not allowed for the construction of welded shells. The values of Re and Rm to be used in determining this ratio must be the values specified in the material inspection certificate.
(10) Steels used in the construction of shells must have an elongation at fracture, in percentage, of not less than 10,000/Rm with an absolute minimum of 16% for fine grain steels and 20% for other steels.
(11) For the purpose of determining actual values for materials for sheet metal, the axis of the tensile test specimen must be at right angles (transversely) to the direction of rolling. The permanent elongation at fracture must be measured on test specimens of rectangular cross sections in accordance with ISO 6892 (see § 171.7 of this subchapter), using a 50 mm gauge length.
(d) Minimum shell thickness. (1) The minimum shell thickness must be the greatest thickness of the following:
(i) the minimum thickness determined in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (d)(2) through (d)(7) of this section;
(ii) the minimum thickness determined in accordance with Section VIII of the ASME Code (see § 171.7 of this subchapter) or other approved pressure vessel code; or
(iii) the minimum thickness specified in the applicable T code or portable tank special provision indicated for each hazardous material in the § 172.101 Table of this subchapter.
(2) Shells (cylindrical portions, heads and manhole covers) not more than 1.80 m in diameter may not be less than 5 mm thick in the reference steel or of equivalent thickness in the metal to be used. Shells more than 1.80 m in diameter may not be less than 6 mm (0.2 inches) thick in the reference steel or of equivalent thickness in the metal to be used. For portable tanks used only for the transportation of powdered or granular solid hazardous materials of Packing Group II or III, the minimum thickness requirement may be reduced to 5 mm in the reference steel or of equivalent thickness in the metal to be used regardless of the shell diameter. For vacuum-insulated tanks, the aggregate thickness of the jacket and the shell must correspond to the minimum thickness prescribed in this paragraph, with the thickness of the shell itself not less than the minimum thickness
prescribed in paragraph (d)(3) of this section.
(3) When additional protection against shell damage is provided in the case of portable tanks used for liquid and solid hazardous materials requiring test pressures less than 2.65 bar (265.0 kPa), subject to certain limitations specified in the UN Recommendations (see § 171.7 of this subchapter), the Associate Administrator may approve a reduced minimum shell thickness.
(4) The cylindrical portions, heads and manhole covers of all shells must not be less than 3 mm (0.1 inch) thick regardless of the material of construction, except for portable tanks used for liquefied compressed gases where the cylindrical portions, ends (heads) and manhole covers of all shells must not be less than 4 mm (0.2 inch) thick regardless of the material of construction.
(5) When steel is used, that has characteristics other than that of reference steel, the equivalent thickness of the shell and heads must be determined according to the following formula: