FRA report analyzes DOT-111 tank car test

The Federal Railroad Administration last week issued a report on a side-impact test of the DOT-111 tank car.

The Transportation Technology Center Inc. and Applied Research Associates Inc. conducted the side impact puncture test on a DOT-111 tank car to evaluate its performance and provide data for the verification and refinement of computational model, according to the report’s executive summary.

During the test, the tank car was filled with water to 97 percent of its volume, then sealed but not pressurized. The car was impacted by a 297,125-pound ram car traveling at 14 mph. A 12-by-12-inch ram head fitted to the ram car impacted the tank center and punctured both the external jacket and tank shell.

The test is part of an overall effort to improve the safety of rail tank cars.

To learn about the results and analyses, click here to read the full report, which was posted on the United Transportation Union's website.