Which type of collapse happens when the center of a floor or ceiling collapses between two load-bearing walls?

• A. Frame
• B. Lean-To Collapse
• C. V-Shape
• D. Cantilever Collapse

Answer: (C)

The pattern being tested is when a floor or ceiling fails in the middle while two load-bearing walls still support the ends. When the center gives way, the sections near the walls drop less than the middle, causing the debris to tilt inward and form two collapsing legs that meet toward the center. From above or at floor level, this looks like a V shape, with the apex at the point where the center collapsed.

This happens because the load path runs along the two walls; if the middle can no longer carry the weight, the middle portion sinks while the edges remain on their supports, creating the distinctive V pattern. Other collapse types involve failures of the frame as a whole, leaning on one side, or a cantilever where one end stays supported while the other drops, which don’t describe a center-collapse between two bearing walls.