[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR238.217]

[Page 564]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
       CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 238--PASSENGER EQUIPMENT SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
     Subpart C--Specific Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment
 
Sec. 238.217  Side structure.

    Each passenger car shall comply with the following:
    (a) Side posts and corner braces.
    (1) For modified girder, semi-monocoque, or truss construction, the 
sum of the section moduli in inches \3\--about a longitudinal axis, 
taken at the weakest horizontal section between the side sill and side 
plate--of all posts and braces on each side of the car located between 
the body corner posts shall be not less than 0.30 multiplied by the 
distance in feet between the centers of end panels.
    (2) For modified girder or semi-monocoque construction only, the sum 
of the section moduli in inches \3\--about a transverse axis, taken at 
the weakest horizontal section between the side sill and side plate--of 
all posts, braces and pier panels, to the extent available, on each side 
of the car located between body corner posts shall be not less than 0.20 
multiplied by the distance in feet between the centers of end panels.
    (3) The center of an end panel is the point midway between the 
center of the body corner post and the center of the adjacent side post.
    (4) The minimum section moduli or thicknesses specified in paragraph 
(a) of this section may be adjusted in proportion to the ratio of the 
yield strength of the material used to that of mild open-hearth steel 
for a car whose structural members are made of a higher strength steel.
    (b) Sheathing.
    (1) Outside sheathing of mild, open-hearth steel when used flat, 
without reinforcement (other than side posts) in a side frame of 
modified girder or semi-monocoque construction shall not be less than 1/
8 inch nominal thickness. Other metals may be used of a thickness in 
inverse proportion to their yield strengths.
    (2) Outside metal sheathing of less than \1/8\ inch thickness may be 
used only if it is reinforced so as to produce at least an equivalent 
sectional area at a right angle to reinforcements as that of the flat 
sheathing specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    (3) When the sheathing used for truss construction serves no load-
carrying function, the minimum thickness of that sheathing shall be not 
less than 40 percent of that specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section.