Re: Transport Index

[jdillon@mercury.ligand.com]

> Hopefully a simple question here, since my 49 CFR seems to
> be missing a significant portion of subpart 4.  Oh well.  We
> are beginning to coordinate disposal of mixed hazardous/radioactive
> waste with our haz mat team and they need to determine the 
> transport index.  How is this done and what table is used to
> find the T.I. number?  Thanks in advance for any help on the
> net.

> Margaret Ashton
> University of Colorado
> Boulder, CO
> FAX: (303) 492-1322
> e-mail:  ashtonm@spot.Colorado.EDU

Margaret,

The transport idnex is determined as follows:

Step 1:  Determine the maximum exposure at a distance of 1 meter from the 
external surfaces of the package, overpack or freight container.  Units need to 
be in mrem/hr (mSv/h x100)

Step 2:  For freight containers the value determined in Step 1 must be 
multiplied by the appropriate factor from the Table below.

Step 3:  The figure optained in Steps 1 and 2 must be rounded up to the first 
decimal place, except that a value of 0.05 or less may be considered as zero.

        Table:
        Largest cross-sectional area
        of the freight container            Multiplication factor

            <= 1 m2                                 1
            > 1 m2 to <= 5 m2                       2
            > 5 m2 to <= 20 m2                      3
            >= 20 m2                                10

I'm assuming that you are not shipping in a freight container, so the transport 
index is simply the exposure (in mrem/hr) at one meter from the surface of the 
package rounded up to the first decimal place (as in step 3).

Jon Dillon
jdillon@ligand.com