(a) Compliance with the design requirements in §173.412 and the test requirements in §§173.465 through 173.469 must be shown by any of the methods prescribed in this paragraph, or by a combination of these methods appropriate for the particular feature being evaluated:

(1) Performance of tests with prototypes or samples of the specimens representing LSA-III, special form Class 7 (radioactive) material, or packaging, in which case the contents of the packaging for the test must simulate as closely as practicable the expected range of physical properties of the radioactive contents or packaging to be tested, must be prepared as normally presented for transport. The use of non-radioactive substitute contents is encouraged provided that the results of the testing take into account the radioactive characteristics of the contents for which the package is being tested;

(2) Reference to a previous, satisfactory demonstration of compliance of a sufficiently similar nature;

(3) Performance of tests with models of appropriate scale incorporating those features that are significant with respect to the item under investigation, when engineering experience has shown results of those tests to be suitable for design purposes. When a scale model is used, the need for adjusting certain test parameters, such as the penetrator diameter or the compressive load, must be taken into account; or

(4) Calculations or reasoned evaluation, using reliable and conservative procedures and parameters.

(b) With respect to the initial conditions for the tests under §§173.465 through 173.469, except for the water immersion tests, compliance must be based upon the assumption that the package is in equilibrium at an ambient temperature of 38 °C (100 °F).

[Amdt. 173-244, 60 FR 50307, Sept. 28, 1995, as amended by 63 FR 52850, Oct. 1, 1998]