The basic idea
Secondary containment is a backup barrier that catches whatever escapes a primary vessel, a tank, drum storage, or process area, before it reaches soil, groundwater, or a storm drain. It is the difference between a contained spill and a reportable environmental release.
When it is required
Regulations from the EPA's SPCC rule to state and local codes require containment around bulk storage of oils, fuels, and many chemicals. The general standard is that containment must hold the volume of the largest vessel plus a margin for rainfall, and the barrier must be impervious to whatever it is meant to contain.
How coatings and liners deliver it
A monolithic, chemical-resistant coating or polyurea liner turns a concrete dike, berm, or trench into a true impervious barrier. Spray-applied polyurea cures fast and conforms to complex geometry; robotically pre-manufactured liners arrive factory-cured with verified thickness. Both eliminate the seams and cold joints where field-built containment tends to leak.
Getting it right the first time
Containment that fails an inspection, or worse, fails during a spill, is far more expensive than doing it correctly up front. The system has to match the contained chemistry and the site geometry. We assess both and install a barrier that holds up to the regulator and the worst-case event.