scope:

This standard provides procedures to test compliance with the cathodic protection (CP) criteria presented in NACE Standard RP0285 on buried or submerged steel tank systems, including galvanized steel components. Included are instrumentation and general measurement guidelines, procedures for three commonly used testing methods, recommendations on taking voltage drops into consideration and preventing incorrect data from being collected and used, and procedures for testing for electrical continuity between tanks and other metallic equipment. A method of testing cathodic protection using coupons is described in Appendix A.

The provisions of this test method shall be applied by personnel who have acquired, by education and related practical experience, knowledge of the principles of cathodic protection of buried and submerged metallic tank systems.

Sometimes a given test technique is ineffective or only partially effective. Conditions that may cause this to occur include elevated temperatures, disbonded dielectric or thermally insulating coatings, shielding, bacterial attack, and unusual contaminants in the electrolyte.

Deviation from this test method may be warranted in specific situations if corrosion-control personnel can demonstrate that adequate cathodic protection has been achieved.