The Flat Floor Library™
Scroll Down for Instructional Videos & Our On-line Library,
including Floor Flatness/Levelness FAQs,
ACI 117 Sample Specifications and other Useful Documents on
ASTM F-Numbers (FF, FL), Fmin
and the Dipstick® Floor Profiler and Its Software
Since the 1970s, The Face® Companies have played a leading role in the development of the modern concrete floor. This has included the development of the most widely used floor flatness/levelness measurement system (Face Floor Profile Numbers – “F-Numbers”), the instruments to measure floor flatness/levelness including the Dipstick Profiler, the placement techniques that make floor slabs flatter and more level and the specification language to define and control floor profiles. This page includes links to numerous documents and videos that provide both basic and detailed information on what F-Numbers are, how they work, how they are measured and how to make concrete floors flatter and more level.
In Association with Concrete Floors Asia,
The Face Companies Are Proud to Help Bring
the F-Number System & Flatter and More Level Floors to Asia
Project Report from Vietnam – Rapid Progress Toward Flatter & More Level Concrete
Flat Floor Videos: Introduction to F-Numbers
An Introduction to F-Numbers – Part 1 of 4 (3:28)
This 1991 video from The Face Companies introduced the Face Floor Profile Numbering (F-Number) System to the concrete industry. F-Numbers were adopted by the American Concrete Institute in 1990 for the specification, measurement and control of concrete floor flatness and levelness. Part 1 of the video gives a brief history of how the problems with the old “straightedge specs” were recognized.
An Introduction to F-Numbers – Part 2 of 4 The Problem with the Old Straightedge Specifications (4:20)
Part 2 explains in detail why straightedge specs failed to control the critical characteristics of floor profiles.
An Introduction to F-Numbers – Part 3 of 4 Modern Concrete Floor Flatness/Levelness Tolerances The F-Number System (FF/FL) & Fmin (5:06)
Part 3 concentrates on the development of F-Numbers — first F-Numbers for Defined Traffic Floors (now known as Fmin) — and later F-Numbers for Random Traffic Floors (the FF / FL system adopted by ACI, the Canadian Standards Association, with measurement procedures set by ASTM E1155).
An Introduction to F-Numbers – Part 4 of 4 The Impact of the F-Number System (6:29)
Part 4 chronicles the immediate impact of the F-Number System, superflat floor finishing techniques and the evolution of improved equipment, products and procedures designed to produce flatter and more level floors.
Flat Floor Documents: FAQs, Samples Specs, References, Hints & Tips
All Documents Are Adobe PDF Files
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The 40 Most Asked Questions About F#s
How to Measure ASTM E1155
How to Use The Face Company’s E1155 Helper™ Software
Collecting Data for F#s
Sample FF/FL Specification
Minimum Local F#s
Concrete Floor Tolerances: F#s vs. Straightedge Specs
Dipstick vs. the Leading Rolling Profiler
Dipstick Capabilities
Dipstick Hints & Tips
Dipstick Elevation Studies The Dipstick: Measuring Thickness of Toppings, Fills & Coatings
The Dipstick: Its Invention and How It Got Its Name
Dipstick Floor Profiler Brochure
Flat Floor Videos: Dipstick & Jobsite “How To’s”
Measuring Concrete Flatness and Levelness with the Dipstick Floor Profiler (2:27)
Para ver el video en Español haga click aqu¡
Measuring the Thickness of Toppings, Fills & Coatings with the Dipstick (1:42)
How a Highway Straightedge Is Used in Concrete Floor Construction (7:12)
This video from The Face Companies was produced in 1993 to instruct contractors in the use of the highway straightedge in concrete floor construction. The modifications that were made to traditional highway straightedges — and the techniques demonstrated in the use of the tool on concrete floors — were largely the invention of Face Companies Chairman and MIT graduate engineer Sam Face (1923-2001). His hands-on consulting with contractors and their finishing crews in more than 20 countries in the 1970s, 80s and 90s made him a legend in the industry. He was named a fellow of the American Concrete Institute.