TECHNICAL STANDARD
NACE SP0178
Design, Fabrication, and Surface Finish Practices for Tanks and Vessels to Be Lined for Immersion Service
AMPP / NACE
2007
Current
WHAT DOES THIS STANDARD COVER?
Addresses design, fabrication and surface-finish considerations for tanks and vessels that will receive protective linings for immersion service.
WHY IS IT RELEVANT?
Relevant when inspecting fabrication and surface preparation before lining, particularly welds, edges and other fabrication details that can influence lining application and performance. Do not reproduce AMPP/NACE’s proprietary visual comparator or detailed surface-finish grades.
KEY INSPECTION CONSIDERATIONS
The standard addresses design, fabrication and surface-finish practices for tanks and vessels that will receive protective linings for immersion service. Substrate configuration and fabrication quality can significantly affect lining application and performance. Welds, edges, surface irregularities, attachments and other details should therefore be considered as part of the lining inspection process. Successful lining work begins with suitable design and fabrication rather than coating application alone.
WHAT THE STANDARD SHOULD NOT BE USED TO ASSUME
The standard should not be treated solely as a coating-application requirement. A lining system cannot necessarily compensate for unsuitable fabrication details, sharp edges, irregular welds or inaccessible areas. Compliance with fabrication and surface-finish requirements also does not replace subsequent requirements for surface preparation, environmental control, lining application and inspection.
PRACTICAL INSPECTION APPLICATION
Inspectors can use the standard during fabrication review and pre-lining inspection of tanks and vessels. Welds, edges, attachments, penetrations and other relevant details can be assessed before lining application so that unsuitable conditions can be identified at an appropriate stage. Subsequent surface preparation and lining inspection should then be completed against the applicable project and coating-system requirements.
RELATED TECHNICAL TOPICS
Linings; Surface preparation; Fabrication
RELATED PIL GUIDANCE
A structured approach to investigating protective coating failure through evidence, testing, sampling and project-record review.
RELATED EXPERTISE
Coating Inspection; Technical Consultancy
ABOUT THIS TECHNICAL SUMMARY
Paint Inspection Ltd provides this information to help inspectors, engineers, asset owners and contractors understand the practical relevance of commonly referenced protective coatings standards. This page is PIL technical guidance and does not reproduce or replace the published standard. Users should refer to the current published standard, project specification, coating manufacturer requirements and other applicable contract documents when establishing project requirements or acceptance criteria.
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OFFICIAL STANDARD
PIL technical summaries are intended to explain the inspection relevance of industry standards and do not replace the published document.
STATUS AND SOURCE VERIFICATION
Official AMPP catalogue reference URL recorded in the PIL Standards Library. CMS designation, title and edition are retained from the existing controlled record. Current publisher edition/status was not independently re-confirmed during the 2026-09-23 source-verification exercise and remains subject to future PIL review against the official AMPP catalogue.