TECHNICAL STANDARD
SSPC-PA 2
Procedure for Determining Conformance to Dry Coating Thickness Requirements
AMPP / SSPC
2022
Current
WHAT DOES THIS STANDARD COVER?
Provides a procedure for determining whether measured coating dry film thickness conforms to specified minimum and maximum thickness requirements on metallic substrates.
WHY IS IT RELEVANT?
Highly relevant to protective-coating inspection where DFT readings must be assessed systematically against project or coating specification requirements. Do not reproduce its measurement-frequency rules, numerical acceptance rules, appendices or tables.
KEY INSPECTION CONSIDERATIONS
The procedure addresses determination of conformance to specified dry coating thickness requirements using nondestructive coating thickness gauges on ferrous and non-ferrous substrates. Conformance assessment considers defined inspection areas rather than relying on a single isolated reading. Gauge verification, substrate, measurement location, sampling and the specified coating thickness range are important considerations.
WHAT THE STANDARD SHOULD NOT BE USED TO ASSUME
A single gauge reading should not be treated as representing an entire inspection area. The procedure provides a structured approach to thickness conformance, but the required coating thickness remains a project or coating-system requirement. Dry film thickness compliance alone does not demonstrate adhesion, cure, appearance or overall coating quality.
PRACTICAL INSPECTION APPLICATION
Inspectors should establish the applicable project thickness requirements, confirm the gauge and substrate are appropriate, use the required sampling approach and retain traceable measurement records. Results can then be assessed against the applicable coating thickness requirements.
RELATED TECHNICAL STANDARDS
RELATED TECHNICAL TOPICS
Dry film thickness; Coating inspection; Protective coatings
RELATED PIL GUIDANCE
Measuring dry film thickness on abrasive blast-cleaned steel is not the same as measuring a coating on a smooth surface. ISO 19840 provides a method for accounting for the influence of surface roughness when verifying coating thickness against the specified nominal dry film thickness.
Practical guidance on verifying intumescent coating thickness, system configuration and application control against approved fire-protection requirements.
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.