Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/10409
Title: Quantity distances for ammunition in ISO containers
Authors: Great Britain. Explosives Storage and Transport Committee.
United States. Transportation Command.
United States. Department of Defense. Explosives Safety Board.
Davis, Landon K.
Ford, Max B.
Keywords: Ammunition
Munitions
Explosives
Safety
ISO containers
Quantity distances
Logistics
Safety measures
Publisher: Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (U.S.)
Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.: ERDC/GSL TR ; 01-18.
Description: Technical Report
Abstract: This study was conducted to (a) develop realistic estimates of the safety hazard ranges (i.e., quantity distances, or "QD's") for accidental explosions of ammunition in ISO shipping containers, and (b) investigate methods for reducing QD's for ammunition containers at temporary storage sites. The QD's of interest are the Inhabited Building Distance (IBD), Public Traffic Route distance (PTR), and Intermagazine Distance (IMD). QD's were established for the U.S. Army's 49 current Strategic Configured Loads (SCL's), as examples of mixed ammo loads. Phase I of the study was an analytical effort, in which QD' s were calculated using accepted analytical methods. The calculated IBD's and PTR's for the 49 SCL's generally ranged from 30 to 80 percent less than those derived from the current U.S. and NATO safety standards. IMD's were similarly reduced, ranging from about 50 to 75 percent less than those indicated by current standards. Phase 2 was a test program to verify the reduction in safe separation distance (IMD's) between ammunition containers, and to evaluate the effectiveness of sand-filled barricades in reducing IMD's to 20ft (6 m) or less. Among other findings, the tests proved that a sand barrier as thin as 18 in. (46 cm) will stop or slow fragments enough to prevent propagation between ISO containers.
Rights: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11681/10409
Appears in Collections:Technical Report

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