---
title: "Underground fuel tank installation per PEI RP100"
description: "How to control design, receiving, excavation, anchoring, backfill, piping, testing and closeout for an underground tank system, using PEI RP100 and local…"
url: "https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/"
language: "en"
---

Tightness testingMarch 24, 20264 min readUpdated September 4, 2026

# Underground fuel tank installation guide (PEI RP100)

How to control design, receiving, excavation, anchoring, backfill, piping, testing and closeout for an underground tank system, using PEI RP100 and local requirements as separate references.

![Ing. Armando E. Campos](https://masterservices.org/images/equipo/campos.webp)

By [Ing. Armando E. Campos](https://masterservices.org/en/somos/#equipo-campos)

President & Owner, Grupo Master

![Black underground tank suspended by a crane during an installation in Panama City.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ubvk0fpt/production/7fe76674a2f1bf11252c5a650387ca476eaf90f3-1200x1600.webp?w=1200&h=675&fit=crop&auto=format&q=85)

In this article

1.  [011\. Freeze the design basis](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#1-freeze-the-design-basis)
2.  [022\. Receiving, storage and lifting](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#2-receiving-storage-and-lifting)
3.  [033\. Excavation, bedding and water control](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#3-excavation-bedding-and-water-control)
4.  [044\. Buoyancy, anchoring and corrosion protection](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#4-buoyancy-anchoring-and-corrosion-protection)
5.  [055\. Piping, containment and monitoring](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#5-piping-containment-and-monitoring)
6.  [066\. Testing and hold points](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#6-testing-and-hold-points)
7.  [077\. Closeout and the Panama procedure](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#7-closeout-and-the-panama-procedure)
8.  [08Frequently asked questions](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#frequently-asked-questions)
9.  [09Application record: installation control](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/instalacion-tanques-subterraneos-combustible-pei-rp100/#application-record-installation-control)

Underground tank installation quality is determined long before the excavation is covered. Design, manufacturer instructions, actual soil conditions and control of each stage must remain connected in one file. [PEI RP100](https://pei.org/test/rp100-20esp/) is a recommended practice used as a reference for installing underground storage systems; it does not replace approved drawings, manufacturer instructions or requirements from Panamanian authorities.

## 1\. Freeze the design basis

Before mobilization, confirm each tank’s capacity, material and configuration; intended products; piping; secondary containment; detection; venting; overfill prevention; traffic over the slab; groundwater; drainage and existing utilities. Record each drawing revision and who authorized changes. If soil information or observed groundwater conflicts with the design, stop the affected stage and recalculate. A verbal field decision is not sufficient.

## 2\. Receiving, storage and lifting

At delivery, compare the nameplate, order and drawings; document impacts, abrasions, fittings and plugs; and retain manufacturer instructions. Unloading and lifting should use the manufacturer’s intended points under a lift plan that controls capacity, radius and the work area. Figures from one RP100 edition or another tank model should not become universal rules: geometry, material and manufacturer determine the limits for the installed tank.

## 3\. Excavation, bedding and water control

The excavation must allow work and compaction without damaging the system. Before entry, control stability, access, underground utilities, rain and groundwater. Bedding and backfill are accepted against the manufacturer’s specification and design, not merely a commercial material name. Record source, applicable grading or certificate, placed depths and stage photographs. This preserves evidence of work that will become inaccessible.

## 4\. Buoyancy, anchoring and corrosion protection

The flotation calculation should address the design condition established by the responsible professional and the possibility of an empty tank. Slabs, straps, deadmen or other anchoring are installed to the drawings and manufacturer instructions without concentrating loads or damaging the shell. For metallic components, corrosion-protection systems and test points should be identified, accessible and verified. A component that is physically installed but lacks closeout continuity, isolation or measurement records remains open.

## 5\. Piping, containment and monitoring

Routes, slopes, joints, penetrations and bend radii should be inspected before backfill. Sumps and spill buckets require access, sealing and inspectability; see our guide to [station containment components](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/sumps-spill-buckets-estaciones-combustible-panama/). Probes, sensors and the ATG console must match the documented configuration. Our [ATG alarm guide](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/alarmas-atg-veeder-root-incon-opw-panama/) explains why a system is useful only when its channels, labels and response workflow are configured.

## 6\. Testing and hold points

The inspection plan defines what is checked at receiving, before lowering the tank, before concealing joints, before final backfill and before commissioning. Pressure, duration, test medium and acceptance criteria come from the manufacturer, design and applicable practice. Never improvise a pneumatic test: unsuitable pressure can create a severe hazard and damage equipment. The safety lead must authorize the method, isolation and exclusion area.

## 7\. Closeout and the Panama procedure

The final file should include as-built drawings, nameplates, data sheets, stage photographs, approved changes, test results, initial monitoring configuration, warranties, training and open items. [Panamá Digital](https://www.panamadigital.gob.pa/InformacionTramite/inspeccion-a-plantas-de-almacenamiento-de-combustible-hidrocarburos-y-cargas-peligrosas) identifies BCBRP/DINASEPI as the authority that inspects fuel-storage facilities. The [PEI recommended-practices page](https://pei.org/rps/) helps identify the current RP100 edition; using it does not equal local approval.

Master Services can support planning, installation and documentation within a contracted scope. Designer, manufacturer, installer and authority retain different responsibilities. To organize a project, also review our [fuel-station construction service](https://masterservices.org/en/construccion-estaciones-combustible/) and the [Master University tanks learning path](https://masterservices.org/en/master-university/tanques-bombas/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is PEI RP100 a Panamanian law?

It should not be presented as one. It is a recommended practice used as a reference. Contractual application and local requirements must be confirmed for the project.

### Can backfill be changed in the field?

Only through a documented review against the manufacturer, design and soil conditions. An informal substitution can affect support, drainage and warranty.

### Which evidence cannot be reconstructed later?

The condition of the excavation, bedding, anchors, penetrations, joints and backfill before concealment. Hold points and photographs are therefore essential.

## Application record: installation control

Before applying this guide to a facility, identify tank, excavation, anchoring, backfill, piping, containment and monitoring. Write the decision as a verifiable question: whether each stage matches design, manufacturer and applicable requirements. A recommendation without an asset, question and date is difficult to audit and may continue circulating after the facility has changed.

-   **Input:** drawings, hold points, photographs, tests and as-built records.
-   **Source:** retain the title, issuer, edition or date, link and section used.
-   **Owner:** assign who confirms data, who authorizes action and who verifies closeout.
-   **Status:** use confirmed, pending, not applicable or out of scope; do not fill evidence gaps by assumption.

Retain the version that supported the decision and record differences between the plan and field conditions. If soil changes, water appears, the design changes or a different asset arrives, reopen the record instead of reusing the earlier conclusion. This keeps the article a working framework rather than a substitute for the manual, design, risk assessment or responsible authority.

Continue learning in [Master University](https://masterservices.org/en/master-university/tanques-bombas/). To review a real case, share the inventory, legible photographs, objective and available documents through our [contact page](https://masterservices.org/en/contacto/); a responsible technical recommendation begins with scope.

## Connected equipment. Controlled access.

A network connection does not require public Internet access. For tank gauges, station controllers and remote support, agree on access controls with your IT team and equipment provider.

Before enabling remote access

-   Keep equipment administration off the public Internet. Separate operational equipment from office and guest networks; allow only necessary traffic.
-   Use individual accounts, unique passwords and protected remote access with multifactor authentication, preferably phishing-resistant. Revoke temporary access when work ends.
-   Keep an inventory and review vendor security notices. Validate firmware changes with the provider, during a maintenance window, with a recovery plan.
-   Keep protected configuration backups, test restoration and record remote sessions. Define who to contact if access or equipment behavior looks suspicious.

AI-generated messages or voices are not proof of identity. Verify unusual support, payment or credential requests through a previously known contact channel. Do not share passwords or verification codes.

General guidance, not a security certification or a substitute for a site-specific assessment. Do not interrupt operating equipment without an approved safe procedure.

Technical references: [CISA · Internet exposure](https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/exposure-reduction) · [CISA · StopRansomware](https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware/ransomware-guide) · [FBI · AI-enabled fraud](https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA241203)

Next technical step

## From the article to the test

MESA 2D is the method. The station certificate is issued by the Fire Department (DINASEPI). They are not the same thing.

-   [### MESA 2D test
    
    Nonvolumetric method: vacuum, acoustic signals and a water sensor.](https://masterservices.org/en/mesa-2d/)
    
-   [### Fire Department support
    
    The technical report is evidence; the authority decides the procedure.](https://masterservices.org/en/certificacion-sne/)
    
-   [### MESA 2D, SIR and tracer gas
    
    Three different questions; they are not the same test.](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/mesa-2d-sir-tracer-gas-comparacion-panama/)
    

Related reading

## Continue exploring

Tightness testing

### [What to do after an adverse tightness-test result](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/reprobaste-hermeticidad-sne-protocolo-panama/)

October 28, 2025

Tightness testing

### [MESA 2-D, SIR and tracer gas: how to compare methods without conflating them](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/mesa-2d-sir-tracer-gas-comparacion-panama/)

October 7, 2025

Tightness testing

### [MESA 1-D and MESA 2-D: how to confirm the applicable method](https://masterservices.org/en/blog/mesa-1d-vs-mesa-2d-cual-aplica/)

September 16, 2025

## Do you need to verify your station’s tightness?

Tell us what is happening at your station. We review the technical context before recommending the next step.

[Schedule an assessment](https://masterservices.org/en/contacto/#contacto-form)

![Conceptual engraving of a fuel station](https://masterservices.org/images/editorial/university-engraving-720.webp)

Conceptual illustration

About this image

AI-assisted editorial engraving. Not a photograph of a Master Services project.

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