If a building is 40 meters tall, the normal collapse zone is approximately how many meters?

If a building is 40 meters tall, the normal collapse zone is approximately how many meters?

• A. 20 meters
• B. 40 meters
• C. 60 meters
• D. 80 meters

Answer: (C)

The concept being tested is the typical rule of thumb for the collapse zone, which is about one and a half times the building’s height. This safety margin accounts for how far debris can travel when a collapse occurs, helping keep crews and bystanders out of harm’s way. For a building that is 40 meters tall, applying that guideline gives 1.5 × 40 = 60 meters. So the normal collapse zone is approximately 60 meters. The other options don’t fit the standard safety margin: 20 meters is too short to clear falling debris, 40 meters only covers the building height without the extra margin, and 80 meters is larger than the typical guideline.

The concept being tested is the typical rule of thumb for the collapse zone, which is about one and a half times the building’s height. This safety margin accounts for how far debris can travel when a collapse occurs, helping keep crews and bystanders out of harm’s way.

For a building that is 40 meters tall, applying that guideline gives 1.5 × 40 = 60 meters. So the normal collapse zone is approximately 60 meters.

The other options don’t fit the standard safety margin: 20 meters is too short to clear falling debris, 40 meters only covers the building height without the extra margin, and 80 meters is larger than the typical guideline.