Chapter 14 Collapse Flashcards
90° wall collapse
A collapse in which an entire wall fails as one unit.
A-frame floor collapse
A collapse in which one end of the collapsed floor is supported by an interior wall, creating to void spaces.
Cantilever floor collapse
A collapse in which one end of the floor is still supported while the other end is unsupported. Voids can be created in such situation.
Curtain wall collapse
Often associated with brick veneer non-loadbearing walls, but also including other masonry walls. The wall falls like a curtain - straight down.
Global (total) collapse
Results in the complete failure of the building.
Inward outward collapse
A collapse in which the exterior wall fails horizontally, with the interior wall “folding” horizontally. The top portion of the building fails inward while the bottom half fails outward.
Lean over collapse
Limited to woodframe structures, this type of collapse is characterized by a wooden building that shifts at the upper levels, leaning into adjacent buildings or totally collapsing sideways in the absence of adjacent buildings.
Lean-to-floor collapse
A collapse of a building’s floor(s) in which one end of the floor is still supported, sometimes at or near or the original point of connection to the wall. A triangular void space is created.
Pancake collapse
A collapse of a building’s floors (and possibly roof) in a pancake stack fashion with each floor (roof) laying flat on top of the one below.
Partial collapse
Results from a failure of a portion of a building. A situation in which a section of floor gives way without bringing down the rest of the building would be a partial collapse. A partial collapse can be just as deadly as a global collapse.
Progressive collapse
Extensive structural failure initiated by local structural damage or a chain reaction of failures following damage to a small portion of a structure.
Secondary collapse
An additional collapse that occurs after the initial collapse. Often occurs when loads shift after a primary collapse, causing additional portions of the structure to fail.
Situational awareness
In firefighting terms, the perception of the surroundings in terms of time and space, the understanding and comprehension of these observations, and the projected outcome of a change in these conditions.
V-shaped floor collapse
A collapse in which the floor fails near its center, with the perimeter of the floor still partially supported by the walls. Two voids are created in this type of collapse.
