The use of protective coatings in conjunction with cathodic protection has an extensive record of proven performance in the protection of structures including underground pipelines, ships, underground storage tanks, pilings, interiors of aboveground storage tanks, and tank bottoms.

The use of both a protective coating and a cathodic protection system presents unique design, installation, and maintenance considerations.

This technical committee report provides users of protective coatings and cathodic protection with information on the strengths and weaknesses of each protective system and explains how a greater level of corrosion protection can be achieved on buried or immersed sub-strates if both systems are used together. This report does not claim that one protective system is superior, but instead focuses on the interdependent relationship between coatings and cathodic protection. The inform-ation presented in this report is relevant to both interior and exterior coatings used in all industries, but specific applications are also noted.