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Using AI to construct on the level

AI-assisted algorithms assess laser scans of foundations in minutes

A color-enhanced 3D laser scan of a large concrete slab in a housing development, showing surface variations in shades of blue, green, yellow, and purple. Surrounding structures and terrain are rendered in black and white. The image was captured using the FLAT tool’s 360-degree scanning technology.
The FLAT tool’s laser image was produced by taking a 360-degree scan of the concrete slab of a housing development and utilized AI-assisted algorithms developed with support from the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center. Credit: Nolan Hayes/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a tool that gives builders a quick way to measure, correct, and certify level foundations. FLAT, or the Flat and Level Analysis Tool, examines a 360-degree laser scan of a construction site using ORNL-developed segmentation and machine learning algorithms to locate uneven areas on a concrete slab.

gif of leveling tool taking laser measurements of concrete pad at night
ORNL’s FLAT tool is an Â鶹ӰŇô from the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center that laser scans the concrete slab for a housing development and uses AI to eliminate manual methods for determining levelness. Credit: Nolan Hayes/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Buildings begin with pouring concrete to create a foundation. Deviations not caught before concrete hardens can add hours to construction time and unanticipated costs. The manual method for determining levelness happens after the concrete has hardened, which makes it time-consuming and requires builders to mark the slab with lines and walk it with a profiling tool to collect data.

“With this digital tool, you can quickly get estimates for the foundation’s smoothness with minimal human involvement,” ORNL’s Nolan Hayes, a buildings researcher, said. “This enables faster building construction because FLAT can tell you within a minute if any mistakes were made and where they are so they can be corrected before the concrete hardens.”

Hayes said demonstrations at two housing developments proved FLAT reduced foundation measurement time by more than 90% and enabled installers to quickly correct errors. Future work includes conducting demonstrations with suspended slabs, floor decking, and pier foundations.

*Text was updated June 19, 2025