Nowadays, it is probably hard to imagine Floor Flatness and Levelness analysis without laser scanning. Compared to traditional measurements, laser scanning enables faster measurements and accurate capture of the floor surface geometry. The result is a highly detailed point cloud representing the floor surface. This point cloud can be analyzed to assess the flatness and levelness of the floor.
Understanding Floor Flatness and Levelness
- Floor Flatness (FF) refers to the extent to which a floor surface varies from a perfectly flat plane. It measures surface undulations that could impact the movement of machinery, the comfort of foot traffic, and the installation of flooring materials. In short, FF indicates the bumpiness of the floor.
- Floor Levelness (FL), on the other hand, pertains to how much a floor deviates from a true horizontal plane. This measure is crucial for properly functioning gravity-driven processes, ensuring that liquids flow correctly and that objects remain stable on the surface. In short, FL shows the slope or tilt of the floor from the design floor model.
This article will discuss how to analyze floor unevenness using ARES Commander and Undet Point Cloud Software. We will learn how to visually colour point cloud data by plane and design floor level, how to create a heatmap and heights GRID, and how to add annotations.
- Visualization (point cloud colouring). Floor unevenness can be easily spotted by using colouring by plane with a fixed step. The colouring step can be adjusted from 1mm to several centimetres.
- Heatmap generation. Once the point cloud data has been properly coloured using orthophoto tools, it is possible to turn the point cloud views into images that can be easily printed or shared in PDF file format.
- Creating a grid of heights. To create GRID, we must use Undet dynamic level blocks, which represent the Z attribute value. Create a Grid with a dynamic block in the desired step and use the Drape Polyline tool to automatically drape the blocks to the surface of the point cloud.
- Floor levelness from the design surface. For this analysis, you can use the model inspection (3D faces) colouring mode to determine the allowed tolerances from the design surface. The design surface can be used as planar faces or 3D solids.
Conclusion
3D laser scanning enables accurate, efficient and detailed assessments, not only ensuring compliance with standards but also improving the overall quality and durability of construction. As the technology continues to advance, its integration into floor analysis is likely to become a common practice that will fundamentally change the way we approach construction and the maintenance of floor surfaces.
Software used in the video content: #ARES Commander 2024, #Undet plugin for ARES Commander.
https://www.undet.com/undet-products/undet-point-cloud-to-cad/