{"operation":"document","citation":"04-0242","title":"Cusco Fabricators, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2004-10-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"04-0242 response to Cusco Fabricators, Inc. concerning 178.320.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-04-0242.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-04-0242.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-04-0242","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2004/040242.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nof Transportation\nU.S. Department\nWashington, D.C. 20590\n400 Seventh St., S.W.\nResearch and\nAdministration\nSpecial Programs\nOCT 29 2004\nMr. Pardhasarathi Chilukuri\nReference No. 04-0242\nCusco Fabricators, Inc.\n305 Enford Road\nRichmond Hill, L4C3E9\nOntario, CANADA\nDear Mr. Chilukuri:\nThis is in response to your October 1, 2004 e-mail to Waider Wong, Structural Design Engineer,\nFederal Highway Administration, asking if Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or hand calculations\nmay be used to verify that DOT 407 and DOT 412 series cargo tank bumpers, described here as\nrear-end protection devices, and rollover guards, described here as overturn protection devices,\nmeet the performance requirements of the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ask if you can use hand\ncalculations to verify the performance of the design for the non-linear portion of the deflection of\nan overturn protection device and a rear-end protection device.\nThe HMR do not require or prohibit FEA calculations to verify the performance of a particular\ndesign nor do they require or prohibit physical testing. Each cargo tank or cargo tank motor\nvehicle design type must be certified to conform to its specification requirement by a Design\nCertifying Engineer (DCE). See § 178.320(b)(1). The DCE's responsibility for certifying the\ncargo tank motor vehicle design type includes verification of the method of analysis and its\njustification. If a manufacturer's DCE can demonstrate by hand calculations that the accident\ndamage protection devices meet the performance requirements for strength and/or displacement\nof the DOT 400 cargo tank series specifications, DOT will perform the same level of calculations\nto verify compliance with the requirements. On the other hand, if the manufacturer chooses to\ncodes, such as ANSYS and Ls-Dyna, to validate the modeling output results. Also,\n§ 178.320(b)(2) states the DCE must furnish to the manufacturer of a cargo tank that complies\nwith its specification requirements a certificate to denote its compliance. The certificate and the\nrequired sketches, drawings, and calculations used to obtain certification must each be signed by\nthe DCE\nI hope this satisfies your request.\nSincerely,\nHotke z. Mitshell\nHattie L. Mitchell, Chief\nRegulatory Review and Reinvention\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n178,320\n040242\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nGorsky, Susan\nSent:\nFrom:\nShelton, Danny [Danny.Shelton@fmcsa.dot.gov]\nSubject:\nTo:\nThursday, October 14, 2004 7:55 AM\nEdmonson\nRE: Cusco draft 1\nGorsky, Susan <RSPA>\n$178.320\nHere it is.\nCargo Tanks\nFrom: sarathi C [mailto:sarathi@wastequipcusco.com]\nDesign Certificatia\nTo: Wong, Waider\nSent: Friday, October 01, 2004 9:59 AM\n04-0242\nSubject:\nInterpretation\nDear Mr. Waider Wong,\nFor design of the Bumper and Rollover Guards of DOT 407 / 412, for the nonlinear portion\naccurate results in my opinion.\nof the deflection (of minimum 6\"), hand calculations are not reliable as they can not give\nHowever I found some DCEs are performing hand calculations while some others are\nperforming FE analysis which is more expensive. What is acceptable to DOT and what is not\npermitted by DOT?\nIs there any rulings by DOT that hand calculations alone (without any\ntesting) are not acceptable.\nMay I request you to let me know the direction given by DOT in this regard?\nSarathi\nRegards,\nFrom: Gorsky, Susan\n--Original Message----\nSent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 7:49 AM\n<RSPA>\nSubject: RE: Cusco draft 1\nTo: Shelton,\nDanny\nThanks for the draft. Can you forward the original email from Mr. Chilukuri?\nSusan\n-----Original Message----.\nSent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004\n[mailto:Danny.Shelton@fmcsa.dot.gov]\nCc: Staniszewski, Stanley <RSPA›; Olson, Philip\nTo: Gorsky, Susan <RSPA>\nSubject: Cusco draft 1\nNow is this service or what.\ndid look at the letter and\nmade comments.\nLet me know what else you need from me. P.s.\nTheir changes are incorporated in the letter.\nStan and Phil\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nGorsky, Susan\nLast Name:\nFull Name:\nPerdhasarathi\nJob Title:\nFirst Name:\nChilukuri\nPardhasarathi\nCompany:\nDCE & Tank Inspector\nCusco Fabricators, Inc.\nBusiness Address:\n305 Enford Road,\nOntario L4C 3E9\nRichmond Hill,\nCanada\nBusiness:\nBusiness Fax:\n(905) 883-1778\n(905) 883-1214 Extn. 229\nE-mail Display As:\nE-mail:\nsarathi@wastequipcusco.com\nPardhasarathi C (sarathi@wastequipcusco.com)\nBirthday:\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nUS Department\nof Transportation\nWashington, D.C.\n400 Seventh Street, S.W.\n20590\nResearch and\nAdministration\nSpecial Programs\nSEP 3 0 1999\nMr. Frank B. Postma, P.G.\nRef. No. 99-0244\nProject Manager\n127 Hartwell Street\nCorporate Environmental Advisors, Inc.\nWest Boylston, MA 01583\nDear Mr. Postma:\nreporting requirements in § 171.16 of the Hazardous Materials Regulation's (HMR; 49 CFR Parts\nThis responds to your letter dated August 25, 1999, requesting clarification of the incident\n171-180). Specifically, you ask if a carrier is required to file an incident report in accordance\nwith § 171.16 for a release from a motor vehicle fuel tank or from a motor vehicle's hydraulic,\ncooling, or lubrication systems.\nThe answer is no. A hazardous materials carrier must file DOT Form F: 5800.1 within 30 days of\ncircumstances set forth in §: 171.15 occurs. A motor vehicle fuel tank that meets the\nan unintentional release of hazardous materials from a package, including a tank, or if any of the\nRegulations, including marking, is-maintained in accordance with NFPA/ASME standards for\nrequirements for all fuel systems under §§ 393.65 and 393.69 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety\nfuel systems, and is not used as a packaging for hazardous materials is not subject to the\nrequirements of the HMR. Similarly, a motor vehicle's hydraulic, cooling, and lubrication\nsystems are not packaging for hazardous materials and, thus, are not subject to the HMR.\nthis office.\nI hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact\nSincerely,\nThe\nama,\nA.Allon\nThomas G. Allan\nSenior Transportation Regulations Specialist\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n171.16\n990244\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nGorsky:\n8n11\nAugust 25, 1999\nCORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORS, INC.\n99-024\n400 7** Street, Southwest\nUSDOT/RSPA (DHM 10)\nWashington, D.C. 205090-0001\nATTN: Mr. Edward Mazzullo, Director for office of Hazardous Materials\nStandards\nRE: Official Interpretation of Regulation 49 CFR 171.16\nDear Mr. Mazzullo,\nCorporate Environmental Advisors, Inc. (CEA) requests an official interpretation of the\npertains to the following scenario. Is a carrier of hazardous materials required to submit a\nUnited States Department of Transportation (US DOT) regulation 49 CFR 171.16 as it..\nregulation if a release occurred from the fuel tanks used for propulsion of the vehicle and\ndetailed incident report on Foim F5800.1 in duplicate as required by the aforementioned\n- propulsion are exempt under the Federal Materials Transportation Law (49 U.S.C. 5101\nnot from the mobile bulk storage tank. It is our understanding that tanks used for\nmaterials used in the operation of the vehicle (i.e. hydraulic systems, cooling systems,\net seq.) and 49 CFR 171-180. Additionally, would this exemption also include other\nlubrication systems, etc.).\nThank you for your attention to our request.\nSincerely,\nCorporate Environmental Advisors, Inc.\np.\nFrank B. Postma, P.G.\nProject Manager\nCORPORATE HEADQUARTERS: HARTWELL BUSINESS PARK, 127 HARTWELL STREET, WEST BOYLSTON, MA 01583 • PHOME: 508-835-8822 FAX: 508-835-8812\nE-MAIL ADDRESS: coa@cea-inc.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":7577}