FAQ

What is floor flatness (Surface Regularity) testing?

Floor flatness surveying assesses how flat and level your floor is relative to its intended use and how well it meets the specified floor standards. [AT] The floor should have an appropriate flatness in order to provide a suitable surface for the operation of materials handling equipment (MHE). In our demanding environment it is important to keep the efficiency level of the industrial building as high as possible and one of crucial factor is floor flatness.

Planus Slab Services use the latest digital floor flatness and levelness testing equipment to measure surface regularity. [AT] With the state of art equipment used for floor flatness testing we can help our customers in efficient service and achieving the results faster, sometimes even in half the time.

When would I need to test my floor?

• If you have taken over an existing warehouse with a new intended use, the floor should be tested to ensure it is suitable for the new operations and to identify any necessary alterations.
• Ideally, before investing in new Materials Handling Equipment (MHE), you should verify that your floor is suitable for the operation of these machines. If it isn’t, you’ll need to find the best solution to achieve the required flatness and levelness according to the specified standard.
• New floors also require testing for flatness and levelness to ensure they meet the specified standards. 
• [AT] If you’re looking for an automated warehouse solution, it is important to have superior floor quality 

Why is it important that my floor is flat and level?

The flatness and levelness of a warehouse floor is essential for safe and efficient logistics operations. An uneven or unlevel floor can disrupt productivity, compromise driver health and safety, and shorten the lifespan of warehouse materials handling equipment (MHE), potentially leading to costly repairs and maintenance with the consequences of delays and stops of warehouse handling. 

Ultimately, the required flatness of the floor is determined by the type of MHE used and the warehouse layout, whether the MHEs move randomly throughout the space or are confined to defined pathways in Very Narrow Aisles (VNA).

What is the difference between free-movement (FM) and defined-movement (DM) floors?

• Free-movement (FM) refers to areas where Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) operates in undefined paths and can move in all directions within the warehouse. Free-movement areas typically occur in warehouses with wide aisle racking installations, factories, retail outlets, low-level storage, or other buildings with the non-defined pathways of MHE. According to the Concrete Society’s TR34 (4th Edition) Classifications free-movement floors are divided into floor classes FM1 (very high standards of flatness and levelness required), FM2 (reach trucks operating at 8-13m without side shift), FM3 (reach trucks operating at up to 13m with side shift) and FM4 (retail floors to take applied screeds, MHE lift heights are restricted to 4m).
• Defined-movement (DM) refers to areas where MHE operates within a fixed defined path within the warehouse. These warehouses implement a Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) system. According to the Concrete Society’s TR34 4th edition direct-movement floors are divided into more detailed floor classification, namely DM1, DM2, DM3. There are also other standards that are used around the world like VDMA, EN 15620, DIN 15185, F-min. The requirements are usually derived from the racking top beam height that typically is specified in the racking layout.

Would I need to shut down operations for floor testing to be carried out?

• While circumstances may differ, a complete shutdown of the facility is often unnecessary. Instead, we can work in phases, surveying and testing available sections of the facility before proceeding to the next.
• The same approach can be applied to defined movement surveys by closing off one or more aisles at a time for us to conduct our survey.