How To Measure Concrete Floor Flatness

The more bumps there are the lower the ff number will be and the more difficult it will be for a polished concrete floor to have a uniform appearance.

How to measure concrete floor flatness.

Think of these bumps and high areas like the knuckles on your hand. The ff floor flatness measurement reads the bumps highs and lows in the slab and higher numbers are better. Exact flatness in concrete floors is critical to efficient facility functioning maximum floor tolerance maintaining operations and successful architectural design. Ff measures the dips and troughs that occur during finishing and setting.

There are two types of measurements that apply here. What does a specification for a floor flatness of 1 8 inch in 10 feet equal in f numbers. Down to minute measurements 1 16th of an inch floors that are not exceptionally flat cause major disruptions to existing facilities or halt construction of new ones. Valuable information when diagnosing the seriousness of a sloping floor.

Ff floor flatness and fl floor levelness. F numbers were developed in the 1980s to provide a systematic quantitative way to indicate the flatness and levelness of a concrete floor. Create a floor plan showing 5 foot increments then write the elevation at each of these points as you measure. The american concrete institute indicates acceptable ranges for flatness and levelness in aci 302 1 guide for concrete floor and slab construction.

A collaboration between laser scanning data capture firms clearedge3d and rithm has resulted in a tool that is able to accurately measure floor flatness while the concrete slab is still wet. Floor flatness levelnessone of the things that distinguishes a high tolerance floor is its f number requirement. Some of the industry misconceptions for floor flatness and levelness are the following. Floor flatness and are described in american concrete institute aci 117.

Doing this gives you a much better picture of where the floor slopes and how much. The astm that directs how the ff and fl values are to be collected and calculated is astm e1155 standard test method for determining ff floor flatness and fl floor levelness numbers ref. Architectural specifications will identify the acceptable ff and fl numbers for the project so architects must understand the limitations of concrete slab installation.