Confirm which tank type the specification keeps (single wall, double wall, or concrete encased aboveground, or one of the double wall underground types), and check that the drawings show that tank and not a generator base tank, which belongs to the generator section. Then trace the vents, the level alarm panel and gauging, leak detection and containment sumps, grounding and fuel heaters, and the installation and anchorage to the sheets that show them.
Assemble the review package
Gather the civil site plan and tank details, the mechanical fuel piping plans and schematic, the generator, boiler, or fire pump drawings the tank serves, the electrical plans for alarm panels, gauges, heaters, and grounding, any cathodic protection drawings, the earthwork and pad details, and the issued Section 33 56 10 with the leak detection and generator sections it points to. Review one tank from fill point to supply connection before assuming a second tank matches.
WBDG publishes UFGS 33 56 10: Factory-Fabricated Fuel Storage Tanks as a public guide-specification reference (accessed October 18, 2026). Use your project’s issued specification and amendments for the actual comparison; the guide specification does not automatically govern your project. The checklist below is an original suggested review workflow, not a reproduction of the UFGS requirements.
Eight checks to run against the issued set
Use one record per location or system. The CSV contains the same eight prompts plus fields for source revisions, observed evidence, the review owner, the decision, and closure references.
| Check | Sources to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Tank type | Aboveground Storage Tank and Underground Storage Tank articles + civil and mechanical details | Does the tank type kept in the specification match the one drawn, including single or double wall and any concrete encasement? |
| Scope boundary with the equipment served | Section notes + Section 26 32 15 + generator drawings | Is the tank drawn a separate tank this section covers, or a generator base tank that the section leaves to the generator specification? |
| Listing and use | Aboveground Storage Tank article + fuel type + equipment served | Does the standard the specification selects for the tank (flammable or combustible storage, motor vehicle dispensing, or heating oil) match how the drawings use it? |
| Venting | Tank Venting and Emergency Vent articles + piping drawings + site plan | Are the normal vent and its termination drawn, and for an aboveground tank, the emergency vent and any second vent the section requires for the interstitial space? |
| Level alarms and gauging | Independent Level Alarm System, Independent Level Alarm Control Panel, and Automatic Tank Gauge System (ATG) articles + electrical plans | Is the alarm control panel located on the drawings, and do the gauging and alarm arrangement match what the specification keeps? |
| Leak detection and containment sumps | Leak Detection, Manhole Containment Sump, and Inspection Well articles + civil details | Are interstitial monitoring, containment sumps, and inspection wells drawn where the specification and the leak detection section call for them? |
| Electrical, grounding, and heaters | Electrical Work, Grounding and Bonding, and Fuel Heaters articles + electrical plans | Are heaters, gauges, and alarms fed and grounded on the electrical plans, with equipment suited to the fuel handled? |
| Installation, anchorage, and corrosion protection | Installation, Cathodic Protection, and Earthwork articles + pad and backfill details | Do the details show the pad or backfill, the slope and fill and vent ends, anchorage where flooding or seismic risk applies, and cathodic protection for buried metal? |
Worked example: a generator tank drawn as a base tank but specified as a separate tank
Illustrative example: the issued Section 33 56 10 keeps a double wall aboveground tank with an independent level alarm panel for the emergency generator. The electrical site plan shows the generator on a sub-base tank with no separate tank, and the civil drawings show no tank pad.
Ask the electrical and mechanical engineers to confirm whether fuel is stored in a separate tank or the generator’s base tank, then align the generator specification, this section, and the civil and electrical drawings. Recheck the alarm panel location and fuel piping against the chosen arrangement before closing the item.
Avoid a false conflict
Section 33 56 10 points to other sections for leak detection, cathodic protection, earthwork, and generator base tanks. A tank that looks complete in this section can still be missing pieces those sections and their drawings were meant to carry.
When requirements disagree, follow the project’s document-control and clarification process. Do not assume that drawings always override specifications, or the reverse. Identify the exact sources and request an authorized decision.
Close the issue across the affected documents
Record the location or tag, drawing and specification references, issue dates, observed difference, and the decision needed. Assign an owner and keep the item open until the response identifies the governing requirement. Check the revised drawings and specification references together; a response email alone may leave the issued package inconsistent.
For the overall process, use the guide to drawing and specification conflicts. Mark an inapplicable checklist row with a reason, and distinguish a verified correction from a question that still needs design information.
Where Groundbook fits
Groundbook’s drawing and specification review helps investigate potential disagreements in the documents you supply. Include the relevant specification sections and drawing references, then verify the cited evidence with the responsible reviewers before acting on a finding.