Dimensions / Industrial & logistics / Steel drums / Tight head
A tight-head (closed-head) steel drum has both ends fixed and fills through two bungs, a 2 in and a 3/4 in, set opposite each other in the top. ISO 15750-2 sizes the 216.5 l type A drum at 571.5 mm inside, 585 mm outside at most and 878 mm tall; at 230 l it is 932 mm tall. US 55-gallon (208 L) drums run a little wider: Mauser’s is 595 × 873–881 mm. The UN code is 1A1, and no opening may be wider than 7.0 cm, or the drum counts as removable head (49 CFR 178.504). A mark such as 1A1/X1.8/300 allows liquids up to specific gravity 1.8, tested at 300 kPa.
| Inside diameter | Outside, max | Height, 216.5 l |
|---|---|---|
| 571.5mm | 585mm | 878mm |
Sources: ISO 15750-2. Checked October 2026.
Nippon Steel Drum’s ISO-size closed drum is filled in, with a 1200 × 1200 pallet and Triton’s 20 ft. Enter your fill and density; each check uses the numbers in the tables on this page.
Sizes in millimetres, weights in kilograms. 1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 US gal = 3.785 L; water is 1 kg/L.
Standing upright, 2 × 2 drums of 585 mm fit inside the 1200 × 1200 mm pallet: 4 per pallet, enough for your 4.
ISDI wants four drums on a 48 × 48 in pallet, 46 × 46 in at the least, with nothing over the edge; Transoplast fits exactly 4 on 1200 × 1200 mm.
Upright in straight rows, one layer takes 10 × 4 = 40 drums; 2 high that is 80, enough for your 80.
ISO 15750-2 keeps types A and C within 585 mm so that they stack four abreast in ISO containers.
Each drum is 200 L × 1 kg/L + 20.5 kg = 220.5 kg; 80 drums make 17640 kg, 10740 kg under the 28380 kg maximum payload.
Filled in: Nippon Steel Drum’s closed drum, 20.5 kg in the 1.2 mm grade. Its 1A1/X1.8/300 mark takes liquids up to specific gravity 1.8.
Filling liquids for export? Photograph a filled drum, mark its diameter, height and bung positions in SizeMarker and send it with the packing list.
Mark a photo| Drum | Diameter × height | Capacity; empty weight |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 15750-2 type A, 216.5 lThe preferred type; 571.5 mm inside | 585 mm max × 878 mm | 216.5 l total |
| ISO 15750-2 type A, 230 l | 585 mm max × 932 mm | 230 l total |
| ISO 15750-2 type C, 212 l566 mm inside; type B is 596 mm over the hoops | 585 mm max × 890 mm | 212 l total |
| Nippon Steel Drum closed drum (JIS Z 1601)Same sizes as ISO type C; 1A1/X1.8/300 | 585 mm max × 890 mm | 212 L; 15.9–27.5 kg by steel grade, 20.5 kg at 1.2 mm |
| Mauser 55 gal tight headNorth America; 216–240 L made elsewhere | 595 × 873–881 mm | 208 L nominal |
| Berlin Packaging tight head, 216.5 L | 585 × 884 mm | 216.5 L |
| Uline S-10759, closed topTop and bottom 1.2 mm, body 0.9 mm | 24 × 34 1/2 in | 55 gal; 37 lb (40 lbs on the same page) |
| Uline S-16914, closed top, lined22 1/4 in inside; epoxy-phenolic lining | 23 × 34 1/4 in | 55 gal; 38 lb |
Sources: ISO 15750-2 · Nippon Steel Drum (closed drum, JIS Z 1601) · Mauser Packaging Solutions · Berlin Packaging (tight head 216.5 L) · Uline (S-10759) · Uline (S-16914)
| Guide | Size or rule |
|---|---|
| Openings49 CFR 178.504 | No wider than 7.0 cm (3 in); wider makes it a removable head (1A2) |
| BungsISO 15750-2 | G 2 and G 3/4 threads, diametrically opposed in the top; not above the seam |
| Bung centresISO 15750-2 | 444 ± 6 mm or 451 ± 1 mm (types A and B); 400 ± 6 mm (type C) |
| Draining testISO 15750-2 | Not more than 100 ml left in the drum |
| Reading 1A1/X1.8/30049 CFR 178.503 | Steel, fixed head; packing groups I–III; liquids to specific gravity 1.8; 300 kPa test |
| Thickness mark49 CFR 178.503 | Top, body and bottom on the bottom head, e.g. 1.0-1.2-1.0 |
| Rated loadUline S-10759 | 825 lbs |
| Filling liquids49 CFR 173.24a | Not completely full at 55 °C (131 °F) |
Sources: 49 CFR 178.504 · ISO 15750-2 · 49 CFR 178.503 · Uline (S-10759) · 49 CFR 173.24a
| Guide | Size or rule |
|---|---|
| Four abreastISO 15750-2 | Types A and C (585 mm max) have the diameter to stack four abreast in ISO containers |
| Container inside width, minimumISO 1496-1 | 2,330 mm |
| 20 ft insideTriton | 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm; 28,380 kg payload |
| Another 20 ft, insideONE | 5,888 × 2,340 × 2,387 mm |
| 585 mm drums in Triton’s 20 ftOur calculation, straight rows | 4 across × 10 rows = 40 a tier; 80 two high (1,780 mm at 890 mm each) |
| Drum palletISDI | 48 × 48 in recommended, 46 × 46 in minimum, for four drums; no overhang |
| 1200 × 1200 mm palletTransoplast | Exactly 4 steel drums of 200 litres |
| 48 × 40 in palletNelson | Three 55-gallon drums |
| Stacking filled drumsISDI | Four high up to specific gravity 1.5; three high above it or over 30 °C |
| StowageCTU Code | Dangerous goods upright; in straight lines (“soldier”) or offset |
Sources: ISO 15750-2 · ISO 1496-1 · Triton (20ft) · ONE · ISDI Alert 15-03 · Transoplast · Nelson Company · CTU Code
An ISO 15750-2 type A drum of 216.5 l is 571.5 mm inside, 585 mm outside at most and 878 mm tall. Mauser’s US 55-gallon tight head is 595 × 873–881 mm, and Uline’s closed top 24 × 34 1/2 in.
A 2 in and a 3/4 in: ISO 15750-2 calls them G 2 and G 3/4 and puts them diametrically opposed in the top, 444 ± 6 mm or 451 ± 1 mm apart on types A and B. Uline lists its openings as fine/NPS threaded.
No. Openings in a 1A1 drum may not be wider than 7.0 cm (3 in); a drum with larger openings is classed as removable head, 1A2 (49 CFR 178.504).
1A1 is a steel drum with a fixed head; X means it passed the packing group I, II and III tests; 1.8 is the highest specific gravity of liquid it may carry; 300 is the hydraulic test pressure in kPa (49 CFR 178.503).
ISO 15750-2 keeps types A and C within 585 mm so they stack four abreast. In Triton’s 5,898 × 2,352 mm box that is 4 across × 10 rows = 40 a tier, 80 two high, by our calculation; check the payload against the filled weight.
ISDI: four high as long as the specific gravity does not exceed 1.5, three high above that or where it stays over 30 °C, one drum high per pallet.
Buyers of liquids ask the drum type and its UN mark, the bung sizes, the fill and gross weight, and how many go on a pallet and into a 20 ft. Mark the real drum and its bungs on your own product photo in SizeMarker, as in the picture at the top, and send one product card for WhatsApp or WeChat.
