SSPC Protective Coatings

Glossary
Acronyms and Terms Related to Coating Industrial
Steel and Concrete Structures as well as
Failure Analysis and Regulations

SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings

40 24th Street, 6th Floor • Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4656
Compilation Copyright 2011
SSPC Glossary 2011

Introduction

This glossary was compiled for a diverse audience within the protective coatings
industry. It includes over 1,500 technical and general industry terms for use by facility
owners and their engineering personnel; specification writers; construction contractors
and subcontractors; manufacturers of raw materials, finished products for cleaning and
coating, and surface preparation and application equipment; and coating industry
consultants. While definitions were prepared to be easily understood, it was sometimes
necessary to use technical, chemical or engineering terms to fully convey meanings.

In addition to general coating terms and terms associated with failure analysis, key terms
associated with bridges, marine structures, and concrete work can also be found here.
Pertinent terms from health, safety, and environmental protection regulations that affect
coating operations are also included.

Each year, new loosely-defined terms enter the coatings industry. Other terms become
misused to the extent that their definitions are no longer clear. This often results in a
variation from the desired product, lesser work or workmanship than desired, costly
delays, or even costlier disputes and litigation. Eliminating the misunderstandings
associated with definitions of coating terms can be effective in producing high-quality
products prepared in a timely and cost effective manner.

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 SSPC Glossary 2011

A number of sources of coatings terminology were consulted and drawn upon in the
process of compiling this glossary, not with the aim of duplicating what has been done in
other works, but rather with the goal of collecting the most significant terms commonly
used in the industry today, revising and updating them where it was deemed appropriate,
and maintaining the commonly accepted definitions in other cases.

Where a definition is drawn from another published source, either identically or

essentially, the source is cited in the text in brackets.

In some cases, only a portion of the source’s definition was used, so more detailed
information may be available by consulting the cited reference. In other cases, the
source’s definition was supplemented with additional material.

Definitions not attributed to a specific source were written on a basis of either

information from multiple references or the expertise of the editors and reviewers of the
glossary.

This list contains the bibliographical references for published materials that are cited in
the text as sources or that were consulted in the process of compiling the glossary. Where
definitions have been re-printed from other sources, they have been credited and every
attempt has been made to seek reprint permission. If you represent an organization whose
terms are cited here and have any questions about this, please call the SSPC editorial
office at 1-877-281-7772, ext. 2237.

ACI: Cement and Concrete Terminology, Publication SP-19 (90), American Concrete
Institute, Detroit, MI, 1990.

AM: William F. Gross, Applications Manual for Paint and Protective Coatings, McGraw-
Hill Book Company, New York, 1970.

ASM. (1) ASM Handbook, Volume 13, Corrosion, (1987), ASM International, Materials
Park, OH 44073-0002; or (2) Metals Handbook, Desk Edition, (1985), ASM
International, Materials Park, OH 44073-0002, formerly the American Society for
Metals, Metals Park, OH 44073.

ASTM: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, American Society for Testing and Materials,
100 Barr Harbor Drive. West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.

B: Bridge Inspector’s Training Manual/90, US Department of Transportation/Federal

Highway Administration, 1979.

CED: Coatings Encyclopedic Dictionary, Stanley Le Sota, Ed., Federation of Societies

for Coatings Technology, Blue Bell, PA, 1995.