Which collapse pattern is the least likely to contain voids where live victims may be found?

• A. Dome
• B. V-shaped
• C. Pancake
• D. Wedge

Answer: (C)

Void spaces formed during a collapse depend on how the structure fails. Pancake collapse tends to push floors straight down onto each other, creating a stacked, flat debris bed with little horizontal spread. This compacted stack leaves few large, accessible cavities for a live victim, so it’s the pattern least likely to contain meaningful voids.

By contrast, wedge and V-shaped collapses involve angled movements and shifting of debris that create more open spaces along the sides or between broken elements, and dome-type failures can generate central pockets within the shell. These scenarios are more likely to produce voids where victims could be found.