BAM simply explained
We are surrounded by risks and we are used to them. And in many cases we cannot assess how big the dangers we are exposed to really are. We don’t know what kind of load the lorries carry on the streets and roads. Whether they transport harmless products or if their load is a danger to us. When they transport dangerous materials, how safely is their load secured on the vehicle? What happens if such a vehicle is involved in an accident and catches fire? And how can we know that certain products such as fireworks or children’s toys which provide pleasure to us, are safe enough? In view of the dangers which surround us, we live relatively carefree lives. We rely on regulations to determine what is considered safe and what isn’t. But how are these regulations produced? BAM performs tests and calculations in the service of safety because guaranteeing safety in technology and chemistry is BAM’s declared mission. Results of this work are integrated into regulations, e.g. into ADR, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road or RID, the regulations for rail transport. However, risks also change with the state of the art. Therefore BAM’s risk researchers will not be without work for the foreseeable future.
Container ship
Photo: Waltraud Engfer
A real example: in 2007 BAM’s scientists sent a freight container on a journey to Singapore. This experiment provided them with important information about the actual loadings the cargo in these containers was in fact exposed to. The researchers would like to find out what happens if certain solvents penetrate their plastic confinement - i.e. bottle or can - during transport. This phenomenon of penetration is called "permeation".
One knows the exact physicochemical characteristics of these solvents. National and international regulations specify the way they must be transported. However, if or how quickly a chemical can permeate the container wall has not yet been investigated thoroughly. To fill the gap BAM has performed tests on its Test Site Technical Safety. The scientists selected trichloroethylene, toluene and n-hexane as solvents. These materials can be found in freight statistics quite frequently. The scientists know from laboratory measurements and calculations that a relatively large amount of these substances penetrates their plastic containment even at a temperature as low as 23 °C. Considering the facts that in southern regions the temperatures within the containers often exceed 50 °C, the released substances cannot easily escape from shipping containers and some chemical-air mixtures may experience spontaneous ignition under certain conditions, it is clear that measurements and calculations are needed and the results of this research must be integrated into the further development of products and regulations.
More information:
Division 3.1 Dangerous Goods Packaging
BAM Annual Report S. 44 ff (PDF, 7,5 MB)
Transport and intermediate storage container for TN900 type spent fuel elements
Certainly, everyone has heard of the “Castor” container type (cask for storage and transport of radioactive material) which are transportation and storage containers used for spent fuel elements and highly radioactive waste. BAM has tested such containers since 1978 and the test reports issued by BAM provide the basis for the approvals by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). Such containers cannot be taken into service without an approval because transportation and storage safety must be ensured.
The tests, which Castor prototypes must pass, are demanding. A container must survive a nine-metre free fall drop onto an unyielding, i.e. extremely hard foundation, in its most critical positions. In addition, it must tolerate a drop from a meter height onto a steel spike on its most sensitive spot followed by a half-hour fire with a flame temperature of 800 °C. The subsequent emission of radioactive substances must not exceed a specified value.
More information:
Division 3.3 Safety of Transport Containers
Division 3.4 Safety of Storage Containers
BAM Press Release 6/2008
Burning toy
Fire safety in homes is an important issue and BAM has dealt with it for a number of years. Together with the Berlin fire brigade, BAM has carried out a full-scale test comprising a stage-managed fire in a nursery. It is hard to believe how fast the fire can spread. After the foam mattress of a bed had been ignited with a candle, it took only 3 minutes and 45 seconds for the room to be completely on fire. Children can set fire to a room by playing with fire since many consumer items can be easily ignited with a lighter, a match or a candle. According to BAM’s investigations, children’s toys made from plastic also belong to the dangerous consumer items. They are easy to ignite and while burning they develop large amounts of heat and smoke. BAM has investigated potential ignition sources for their heat development. Sparklers for example are also very dangerous sources of ignition since they can reach over 1000 °C and become extremely hot. The investigation has clearly shown that there must be better standards of fire safety for consumer items in the future, in particular for foam materials, children’s toys made of plastic and electronic devices such as television.
More information:
Division 7.3 Fire Enginering
www.homefiremodel.bam.de
Feuerwerk
Every December BAM features in the media when fireworks for New Year’s Eve are being sold. Instructions for correct handling are published in the press and on television and the media remind customers of the fact that fireworks are anything but toys. Fireworks belong to the pyrotechnic family, they contain explosives which may cause serious injuries when used improperly. To keep risks as low as possible, BAM tests fireworks for their safety. Only articles which pass these tests obtain an approval from BAM. In 2008, 202 new fireworks were tested and only 146 of them obtained the approval. However, not only the safety of the handling of pyrotechnic articles is tested. Explosives experts also examine dangers that may emerge during transportation and storage of fireworks. An accident like the explosion in a fireworks factory in Enschede (the Netherlands) in 2000, where 21 people were killed, must not happen again.
More information:
Division 2.3 Explosives
BAM Press Release 16/2008
BAM Press Release 23/2007
Commuter train (S Bahn) viaduct
Buildings often stand for decades, sometimes even centuries. Over time, however, the loads on buildings change. Many old bridge structures were initially laid out for considerably lighter loads than those they have to carry now. In addition, the ravages of time also make their contribution. Are these bridges up to today's traffic? If yes, how long for? And how can we determine when a bridge arrives at its strength limit? Warning systems which raise early alarms are in demand to counteract faults in a controlled manner. Developing such systems is one of BAM’s responsibilities. Engineers and scientists who are concerned with the safety of buildings, have developed radio-based sensor and assessment systems which can for example measure the elongation of a bridge.
Sensors can perform measurements non-destructively, i.e. the objects are not affected. However, assessing the safety and load-bearing capacity is often only possible using methods which lead to the destruction of the components. In 2006 BAM tested a steel segment of a dismantled riveted railway bridge over one hundred years old from England. This component weighed 10 t and was 13 m long. It was tested in BAM’s large test stand until failure. Forces and strains were measured with about 60 sensors followed by an evaluation. The results of such tests provide valuable data about the strength limits and service life of similar components and close-to-reality assessment methods can contribute to maintaining historical structures.
More information:
Division 7.2 Buildings and Structures
BAM Annual Report 2007, p. 96 ff (PDF, 7,5 MB)
Wood with parasite infestation
Hazards are not always revealed as spectacularly as in major fires or the collapse of bridges. It is often inconspicuous but none the less dangerous. Wood is probably a material which is used in almost all spheres of life because of its many advantageous properties. But wood can rot quickly and it is susceptible to parasites. Without any protection, wooden objects do not fully serve their purpose even after only a few years. Boards may become deformed and rotten, piles cannot carry their loads any longer and may break. Climatic influences can accelerate these processes, therefore wood must be protected. Wood preservatives can fulfil this task, but the efficacy of these measures must be proved using a strict certification processes.
In Germany, the German Institute for Building Technology, DIBt, is responsible for the approval of wood preservatives for load-carrying components. Many of the tests products must pass to prove their efficacy under natural conditions are performed by BAM. The experts speak of "open-air weathering" in combination with a test series in the laboratory and consecutive evaluation. In their work, scientists often operate in the area of conflict between material protection, environmental protection and health protection: wood preservatives are expected to protect the wood for a long time and wet weather should not leach them into the soil. Nevertheless, should this happen, they must not cause poisonous changes to the environment. Nor can wood preservatives impair human health either.
More information:
Division 4.1 Biology in Materials Protection and Environmental Issues
BAM Annual Report 2007, p 62 ff (PDF, 7,5 MB)
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