Ask X3What does 49 CFR 180.519 (Periodic retest and inspection of tank cars other than single-unit tank car tanks) require?
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As a motor-carrier owner, here is what 49 CFR 180.519 requires for the periodic retest and inspection of applicable tank cars:
* General Retests: Tanks designed to be removed from cars for filling and emptying, as well as tanks built to Class DOT 107A specifications (along with their safety relief devices), must undergo periodic retests based on the intervals and pressures specified in Retest Table 1. Retests can be completed at any time during the calendar year they are due, and must also be done before returning a tank to service after repairs involving welding or heat treatment.
* Hydrostatic Pressure Test: Tanks must be subjected to a hydrostatic pressure test (with pressure held for at least 30 seconds to secure complete expansion). Pressure and expansion gauges must be accurate to within 1 percent. Permanent volumetric expansion cannot exceed 10 percent of the total volumetric expansion at test pressure, and the tank must show no leaks or distress.
* Air Pressure Test: Except for DOT 107A tanks, each tank must undergo an interior air pressure test of at least 100 psig under conditions where leaks can easily be detected, and no leaks may appear.
* Safety Relief Devices: Safety relief valves must be retested using air or gas, must start-to-discharge at or below the prescribed pressure, and must be vapor tight at or above the prescribed pressure. Rupture discs and fusible plugs must be removed and visually inspected.
* Stamping Test Dates: Following a successful test, the month and year of the test (e.g., 01-90 for January 1990)—followed by a "V" if visually inspected—must be plainly and permanently stamped into the metal of one tank head or chime (or on the marked end/permanent plate for DOT 107A tanks). Previous test dates and markings must be kept legible.
* Visual Inspection Alternative: Certain tanks (DOT 106A and DOT 110A-W specifications used exclusively for non-corroding fluorinated hydrocarbons and mixtures) may use a periodic complete internal and external visual inspection performed by a competent person in place of the hydrostatic retest, accepted or rejected using CGA C-6 criteria.
* Written Records: Test and visual inspection results must be recorded on a data sheet and retained by both the owner and the testing party for as long as the tank is in service. The records must include the test date, DOT specification, tank identification, protective coating type, conditions checked (like leaks, corrosion, dents, internal condition), test pressure, test results, tank disposition, and the identifier of the person who conducted the retest or inspection.