NACE Recommended Practice RP-01-69 contains criteria for the cathodic protection of steel structures in natural soil and water environments and there criteria have been widely accepted both by the owners of cathodically protected structures and by cathodic protection practitioners. Despite this, it has become increasingly apparent that many of the criteria as stated in the standard are in serious error with the fundamental science and in conflict with other standards and the interpretation of some regulatory agencies. Recent studies, which have appeared in the literature, further confirm that the criteria require revision to ensure that only polarized potentials are used I n the criteria and, furthermore, that potential measurements are corrected for IR drop error.
