What type of collapse can result from overloading the center floor?

A pancake collapse occurs when the floors fall directly downward onto each other, typically because the floor structure has failed, often due to excessive loading or a lack of structural support. This type of collapse is characterized by the layers of a building compressing together as the upper floors yield under the weight or stress applied to them, leading to a situation where the entire structure's weight becomes centralized in a way that cannot be supported, causing floors to stack upon one another.

In the context of the scenario presented, overloading the center floor can create an imbalance of weight that compromises the structural integrity, particularly if that floor is designed to support a specific load. When it becomes overloaded, the failure of that central floor can lead directly to the pancake effect, as the weight of the floors above will force them downward, leading to a sequential failure of lower floors as they cannot support the load coming from above.

This phenomenon can rapidly lead to a total collapse of the building's interior, making it particularly dangerous for both occupants and firefighters responding to the scene. Understanding the implications of a pancake collapse is critical for firefighters, as it highlights the potential risks involved in structural support systems and the importance of assessing load limits in emergency situations.

Other types of collapses like domino collapse