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.
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 that has a ferritic grain size of 6 or finer when determined in accordance with ASTM E 112-96 (IBR, 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 (IBR, 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 in Section VIII of the ASME Code (IBR, 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 must have an ASME certification and U stamp when used for Hazard Zone A or B toxic by inhalation liquids, or when used for non-refrigerated or refrigerated liquefied compressed gases. 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.

Code of Federal Regulations

Re = yield strength in N/mm2, or 0.2% proof strength or, for austenitic steels, 1% proof strength;

Code of Federal Regulations

Rm = minimum tensile strength in N/mm2.
Where:
e1 = required equivalent thickness (in mm) of the metal to be used;
e0 = minimum thickness (in mm) of the reference steel specified in the applicable T code or portable tank special provision indicated for each material in the § 172.101 Table of this subchapter;
d1 = 1.8m, unless the formula is used to determine the equivalent minimum thickness for a portable tank shell that is required to have a minimum thickness of 8mm or 10mm according to the applicable T code indicated in the § 172.101 Table of this subchapter. When reference steel thicknesses of 8mm or 10mm are specified, d1 is equal to the actual diameter of the shell but not less than 1.8m;
Rm1 = guaranteed minimum tensile strength (in N/mm 2) of the metal to be used;
A1 = guaranteed minimum elongation at fracture (in %) of the metal to be used according to recognized material standards.
Country of manufacture
U N
Approval Country
Approval Number
Alternative Arrangements (see § 178.274(a)(2)) “AA”
Manufacturer's name or mark
Manufacturer's serial number
Approval Agency (Authorized body for the design approval)
Owner's registration number
Year of manufacture
Pressure vessel code to which the shell is designed
Test pressure____bar gauge.
MAWP____bar gauge.
External design pressure (not required for portable tanks used for refrigerated liquefied gases)____bar gauge.
Design temperature range____ °C to____ °C. (For portable tanks used for refrigerated liquefied gases, the minimum design temperature must be marked.)
Water capacity at 20 °C/____liters.
Water capacity of each compartment at 20 °C____liters.
Initial pressure test date and witness identification.
MAWP for heating/cooling system____bar gauge.
Shell material(s) and material standard reference(s).
Equivalent thickness in reference steel____mm.
Lining material (when applicable).
Date and type of most recent periodic test(s).
Month____Year____ Test pressure____bar gauge.
Stamp of approval agency that performed or witnessed the most recent test.
For portable tanks used for refrigerated liquefied gases:
Either “thermally insulated” or “vacuum insulated”____.
Effectiveness of the insulation system (heat influx)____Watts (W).
Reference holding time____days or hours and initial pressure____bar/kPa gauge and degree of filling____in kg for each refrigerated liquefied gas permitted for transportation.
Name of the operator.
Name of hazardous materials being transported and maximum mean bulk temperature (except for refrigerated liquefied gases, the name and temperature are only required when the maximum mean bulk temperature is higher than 50 °C).
Maximum permissible gross mass (MPGM)____kg.
Unladen (tare) mass____kg.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note to paragraph (i)(2): For the identification of the hazardous materials being transported refer to part 172 of this subchapter.

(6) Effective January 1, 2008, each new UN portable tank design type meeting the definition of “container” in the Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) (see 49 CFR 450.3(a)(2)) must be subjected to the dynamic longitudinal impact test prescribed in Part IV, Section 40 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (see IBR, § 171.7 of this subchapter). A UN portable tank design type impact-tested prior to January 1, 2008, in accordance with the requirements of this section in effect on October 1, 2005, need not be retested. UN portable tanks used for the dedicated transportation of “Helium, refrigerated liquid,” UN1963, and “Hydrogen, refrigerated liquid,” UN1966, that are marked “NOT FOR RAIL TRANSPORT” in letters of a minimum height of 10 cm (4 inches) on at least two sides of the portable tank are excepted from the dynamic longitudinal impact test.
[66 FR 33440, June 21, 2001, as amended at 67 FR 15744, Apr. 3, 2002; 68 FR 45041, July 31, 2003; 68 FR 57633, Oct. 6, 2003; 68 FR 75751, Dec. 31, 2003; 69 FR 76185, Dec. 20, 2004; 70 FR 34399, June 14, 2005; 71 FR 78634, Dec. 29, 2006; 72 FR 55696, Oct. 1, 2007; 73 FR 4719, Jan. 28, 2008]

Code of Federal Regulations

Editorial Note: At 68 FR 57633, Oct. 6, 2003, § 178.274 was amended in paragraph (b)(1); however, the amendment could not be incorporated due to inaccurate amendatory instruction.