It's a "traditional" requirement. A small ammount of chime [chine] is required for welding the OD of the shell, and a further small ammount is required for the 1-Foot calculation method to be valid, i.e. using the floor and floor extension [chine] as a reinforcing member for the bottom of the shell. And it is a very good idea to have some more chine sticking out for 'sacrificial anode' to rust away first, before the corrosion gets to the weld.
When I add these up in my mind I get an inch or more; i presume that is how the 2-inch requirement arrived. When a tank is built in the field using 'classical' methods, the floor sketch plates are cut from straight plates. At that point, any reasonable floor extension - chine - can be established 1", 1.5", 2", 2.5" etc. For a new tank, I personally am perfectly happy with a nominal 2-inch chine, that never goes below 1.5" from the outer face of the shell.