For 200 L plastic drums/barrels, ADR does not give a universal number of layers. The permitted stacking height depends on whether the drum is designed and approved for stacking and on the stacking test load for that specific packaging design.
Key rule:
- Packages must not be stacked unless they are designed for stacking (ADR 7.5.7.2, Volume 2, page 628).
- For packaging design approval, the stacking test uses a force equivalent to the total weight of identical packages that may be stacked on the test sample during transport; the minimum tested stack height, including the tested package, is 3 m (ADR 6.1.5.6.2, Volume 2, page 330).
- For plastic drums intended for liquids, the stacking test must last 28 days at at least 40 °C (ADR 6.1.5.6.2, Volume 2, page 330).
Practical conclusion: you may stack 200 L plastic barrels only up to the height/load supported by their UN packaging approval and manufacturer’s stacking rating. As an ADR baseline, the packaging type must have passed a stacking test for at least 3 m total stack height, but this does not automatically authorize any higher stack in operation.
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