Bureau International des Containers

The Bureau International des Containers et du Transport Intermodal, originally French: Bureau International des Conteneurs, and still abbreviated BIC, and in English parlance sometimes called International Container Bureau[2][3] oversees standards for intermodal containers, commonly referred to as "shipping containers".

Bureau of International des Containers
AbbreviationBIC
Established1933
TypeRegistration
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersParis[1]
Parent organization
National Registration Organizations
AffiliationsCustoms Convention on Containers
Websitewww.bic-code.org

The goal of the organization is to promote cooperation among corporations, governments and independent organizations relating to intermodal freight transport, the process of containerization, and the transport and handling of shipping containers.

History

BIC was originally established in 1933 under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce. The Bureau suspended its operations during World War II, with resumption in 1948.[4]

In June 1933, the Bureau decided on obligatory parameters for containers used in international traffic in Europe. Containers handled by means of lifting gear, such as cranes, overhead conveyors, etc. for traveling elevators (group I containers), constructed after July 1, 1933. Obligatory Regulations:

  • Clause 1.—Containers are, as regards form, either of the closed or the open type, and, as regards capacity, either of the heavy or the light type.
  • Clause 2.—The loading capacity of containers must be such that their total weight (load, plus tare) is: 5 metric tons for containers of the heavy type; 2.5 metric tons for containers of the light type; a tolerance of 5 percent excess on the total weight is allowable under the same conditions as for wagon loads.
Obligatory norms for European containers since 1 July 1933
Heavy typeslength [m]width [m]height [m]Total mass [tons]
Close type 623.252.152.20 5
Close type 422.152.152.20
Open type 613.252.151.10
Open type 412.152.151.10
Light Typelength [m]width [m]height [m]Total mass [tons]
Close type 222.151.052.20 2,5
Close type 2012.151.051.10
Open type 212.151.051.10

In April 1935 BIC established second standard for European containers:[5]

Obligatory norms for European containers since 1 April 1935
CategoryLength [m]Width [m]Height [m]Total mass [tons]
Heavy types
Close 623,252.152,550 5
Close 422,152,152,550
Open 613,252,151,125
Open 412,152,151,125
Light Type
Close 321,502,152,550 2,5
Close 221,052,152,550

Between 14–23 April 1951 in Zurich Tiefenbrunnen under the auspices of the Club «Museum of Transport, Switzerland, Swiss Transportation" and Bureau International des Containers "(BIC) held demonstrations container systems aim to select the best solution for Western Europe. Present were representatives from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy and the USA. Based on solution of Netherlands system for waste transportation and consumer goods under the name "Laadkisten" used since 1934 with permissible gross mass of the container was 3000 kg and dimensions ok.2,5 * 2 * 2m, reloading held by dragging rope winch tow car, was choose a container system for west Europe known as the first after World War II European standard UIC 590, also known as "Pa-Behälter." This system has been implemented in Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, West Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.

Along with the gradual popularization of large container type ISO, system "Pa-Behälter" was withdrawn from use by the railways. In the 70s of the last century began to be widely used for the transport of waste in the system of a car.[6]

BIC was elected by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the late 1960s as the single registrar office in charge of the registration and protection of the containers owners and operator's identification code ("BIC code") later standardised as ISO 6346. This ensures a unique code number for every shipping container in the world, and these must be registered with BIC.

The Customs Convention on Containers (CCC-1972) in a recent amendment enforced in 2008 also makes reference to the ISO 6346 and code registration with BIC to allow the free circulation of containers worldwide.

Facilities

The BIC is headquartered 41 rue Réaumur, 75003, Paris, France.

References
  1. BIC Head Office in Paris
  2. Container Prefixes - CSI Container Services International
  3. Online Container Handbook - by Collective German insurers
  4. "INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER BUREAU". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 18 April 1933. p. 13. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  5. Lewandowski, Krzysztof (2014). "Czechoslovak activity to prepare European norms for containers before the Second World War" (PDF). Acta Logistica. 1 (4): 1–7. doi:10.22306/al.v1i4.25. ISSN 1339-5629.
  6. Lewandowski, Krzysztof (2014). "ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS USE THE ACTS SYSTEM (pol. WYMAGANIA ORGANIZACYJNE STOSOWANIA SYSTEMU ACTS )" (PDF). Pojazdy Szynowe. 2: 1–14. ISSN 0138-0370.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.