The VDMA flatness requirement was included in the FEM 10.2.14 / 4.103 – 1 and from September 2021 in the European standard EN 15 620. It is therefore an official European flatness standard which must be met. This standard was developed at the request and with the approval of VNA forklift truck manufacturers, flooring contractors, engineering firms and universities, and is based on years of scientific research. VDMA is the only standard worldwide that controls all undulations that influence the driving behaviour of the forklift truck. The undulation of a floor is a combination of both (medium) long and short waiviness.
In the Chaco, the wind is a personality. It is the viento norte (north wind), a hot, sticky, suffocating blast that precedes a storm. It doesn't cool; it oppresses. It dries the throat, irritates the skin, and frays the nerves. Almada’s prose captures this physical discomfort with visceral precision. The wind becomes a catalyst, pushing the characters toward their breaking points.