STANDARDIZING BOOM TEST PROCEDURES1

ABSTRACT The Interagency Technical Committee (OITC) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank (OHMSETT) facility sponsored a combined series of in-tank and open-water tests on five booms. The booms selected cover the wide range of sizes and design parameters often considered appropriate for spill control. The tests were conducted at the OHMSETT facility and in nearby Sandy Hook Bay between November 1983 and May 1984. The in-tank tests measured the oil-holding performance of the boom; the open-water tests demonstrated wave conformance and survivability. The objective was to correlate the two sets of data. The five in-tank tests for each boom used a standardized test matrix for oil-holding ability. Wave conformance and endurance were observed under controlled conditions. The results of this testing compared favorably with historical tests performed in the test task. The five booms were deployed in the bay over an extended period. The le...