The Radioactive Material (Road Transport) (Great Britain) Regulations 1996

Mechanical test:

14.  The mechanical test consists of three different drop tests. Each specimen shall be subjected to the applicable drops as specified in paragraph 8 of Schedule 12. The order in which the specimen is subjected to the drops shall be such that, on completion of the mechanical test, the specimen shall have suffered such damage as will lead to the maximum damage in the thermal test which follows.

(a) For drop I, the specimen shall be dropped on to the target so as to suffer the maximum damage, and the height of the drop measured from the lowest point of the specimen to the upper surface of the target shall be 9 metres. The target shall be as defined in paragraph 5 above.

(b) For drop II, the specimen shall be dropped so as to suffer the maximum damage on to a bar rigidly mounted perpendicularly on the target. The height of the drop measured from the intended point of impact of the specimen to the upper surface of the bar shall be 1 metre. The bar shall be of solid mild steel of circular section, (15.0±0.5)cm in diameter, and 20 cm long unless a longer bar would cause greater damage, in which case a bar of sufficient length to cause maximum damage shall be used. The upper end of the bar shall be flat and horizontal with its edges rounded off to a radius of not more than 6 mm. The target on which the bar is mounted shall be as described in paragraph 5.

(c) For drop III, the specimen shall be subjected to a dynamic crush test by positioning the specimen on the target so as to suffer maximum damage by the drop of a 500 kg mass from 9 metres on to the specimen. The mass shall consist of a solid mild steel plate 1 metre×1 metre and shall fall in a horizontal attitude. The height of the drop shall be measured from the underside of the plate to the highest point of the specimen. The target on which the specimen rests shall be as defined in paragraph 5.