Importance of Flatness

Importance of Flatness

An ideal floor would be perfectly flat and level and have no joints.

Ground floor slabs in Industrial, Warehouses and Distribution Centres are integral to the efficient operation of the facility. They are the table top on which an operator runs his business. On the surface they appear to be one of the simplest parts of a structure to construct. However, this simplicity often leads to an underestimation of the design and construction requirements. A well designed and constructed floor will increase productivity, reduce maintenance of the building and increase the life of the equipment using the floor.

High Tolerance is the term referring to surface regularity. Surface regularity needs to be limited in two ways. The floor should have an appropriate flatness in order to limit the bumpiness and general stability in operation of the materials handling equipment, and an appropriate levelness to ensure that the building as a whole with all its static and mobile equipment can function satisfactorily. There are essentially two methods for defining floor flatness requirements. Floors are divided into Free Movement Areas (FM) and Defined Movement Areas (DM).

TR34 Classification FM2 is recommended when specifying a new floor as this represents a good quality floor that can be achieved without excessive cost. For VNA applications a DM Specification  (Superflat floor) should be used and the category is defined by the racking height.

 

… Delivering Faster – Flatter – Floors for Future!