Developing an ANSI [American National Standards Institute] standard for semitrailers used to transport radioactive materials

A proposed new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard has been prepared which establishes requirements for the design, fabrication, and maintenance of semitrailers used in the highway transport of weight-concentrated radioactive loads. A weight-concentrated load is any payload which exceeds 1,488 kilograms per lineal meter (1,000 lb/ft) over any portion of the semitrailer. The proposed standard also provides detailed procedures for in-service inspections, as well as requirements for testing and quality assurance. The standard addresses only semitrailers, excluding the tractor. Trailers already in service may be certified as complying with the standard if they meet the requirements of the standard. This standard is intended to provide guidance and acceptance criteria needed to establish a uniform minimum level of performance for the designer, manufacturer, owner, operator, and shipper. This standard is not intended to apply to special, non-routine shipments of a one-time or occasional nature which require special permitting. The background and history of the standard are traced and a summary discussion of the standard is provided in this article