[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR179.16]

[Page 1065]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
   CHAPTER I--PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, 
                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 179_SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart B_General Design Requirements
 
Sec.  179.16  Tank-head puncture-resistance systems.

    (a) Performance standard. When the regulations in this subchapter 
require a tank-head puncture-resistance system, the system shall be 
capable of sustaining, without any loss of lading, coupler-to-tank-head 
impacts at relative car speeds of 29 km/hour (18 mph) when:
    (1) The weight of the impact car is at least 119,295 kg (263,000 
pounds);
    (2) The impacted tank car is coupled to one or more backup cars that 
have a total weight of at least 217,724 kg (480,000 pounds) and the hand 
brake is applied on the last ``backup'' car; and
    (3) The impacted tank car is pressurized to at least 6.9 Bar (100 
psig).
    (b) Verification by testing. Compliance with the requirements of 
paragraph (a) of this section shall be verified by full-scale testing 
according to appendix A of this part.
    (c) Alternative compliance by other than testing. As an alternative 
to requirements prescribed in paragraph (b) of this section, compliance 
with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section may be met by 
installing full-head protection (shields) or full tank-head jackets on 
each end of the tank car conforming to the following:
    (1) The full-head protection (shields) or full tank-head jackets 
must be at least 1.27 cm (0.5 inch) thick, shaped to the contour of the 
tank head and made from steel having a tensile strength greater than 
379.21 N/mm\2\ (55,000 psi).
    (2) The design and test requirements of the full-head protection 
(shields) or full tank-head jackets must meet the impact test 
requirements in Section 5.3 of the AAR Specifications for Tank Cars 
(IBR, see Sec.  171.7 of this subchapter).
    (3) The workmanship must meet the requirements in Section C, Part 
II, Chapter 5, of the AAR Specifications for Design, Fabrication, and 
Construction of Freight Cars (IBR, see Sec.  171.7 of this subchapter).

[Amdt. 179-50, 60 FR 49077, Sept. 21, 1995, as amended by Amdt. 179-50, 
61 FR 33255, June 26, 1996; 66 FR 45390, Aug. 28, 2001; 68 FR 75759, 
Dec. 31, 2003]

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