Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 769c53ca-7692-4fdf-9301-9fd64e37aa8f
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Evaluations of Explosions Postulated To Occur on Transportation Routes Near Nuclear Power Plants (Rev. 3)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2110/ML21105A439.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-05
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.91
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
for plume modeling. Information can be found in Chapter 5 of NUREG/CR-6410, “Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility Accident Analysis Handbook,” issued March 1998 (Ref. 11). Determining the maximum probable quantity of potentially explosive cargo on traffic routes depends on both the transportation mode and the vehicles used. The maximum probable quantities for a highway truck, railroad boxcar, and ship are as follows: ax • 50,000 lb. (22,700 kg) payload on a highway truck: This is a conservative value based on maximum allowable truck axle loads on highways (20,000 lb. (9,080 kg) on a single axle and 34,000 lb. (15,440 kg) on a tandem axle, as per 23 CFR, “Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation,” Part 658.17 (Ref. 12)). • 132,000 lb. (60,000 kg) payload on a railroad boxcar: This is conservative based on a nominal boxcar capacity with mandated bracings of explosive cargo and loading procedures (49 CFR, “Transportation,” Part 174.101 (Ref. 13) and, 49 CFR 174.104 and Bureau of Explosives Pamphlets 6 and 6A). Department of the Air Force (AFMAN 91- 201 Explosive Safety Standards) also support this maximum value. • 10,000,000 lb. (4,500,000 kg) on a ship: This is conservative based on a typical capacity of river barges. When shipments are made in connected vehicles, such as railroad cars or barge trains, investigating the possibility that the contents of more than one vehicle may explode is necessary. DG-1388, Page 7 In some cases, the distances from a nearby fixed facility or transportation route to the SSCs that must be protected may not be great enough to allow a conclusion (based on conservative assumptions) that the peak positive incident overpressure would be less than 1.0 psi (approximately 6.9 kPa). In such cases, an analysis of the probability of potential accidents at nearby facilities or the frequency of hazardous cargo shipment may show that the attendant risk is sufficiently low. The NRC staff determined that if the frequency