Independent Review of the Fortis Protype Railcar Body Design

Sigma Science provides nuclear industry advisory and assistance services (A&AS) to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) under a 5-year $49 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract (May 2022-April 2027). One task under the contract required the performance of an independent design review of the Fortis Prototype Railcar Body. The prototype Fortis railcar is an eight-axle, flat-deck railcar that can transport large containers of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The Sigma team’s review approach followed traditional design review processes, including independent subject matter expert reviews and a collective team review. The Sigma task team assembled for these reviews included the task lead and engineering experts in mechanical engineering, civil/structural engineering, and nuclear engineering. Deliverables under this task – including the Individual Design Review, Team Design Review, and reports – were submitted on time.