Load

How it is used

One of the first words in any design calculation or technical discussion on site. Structures carry, support and transfer loads; loads act on a member and are applied, combined or exceeded. Distributed loads are given in kN/m² or kN/m.

Example sentences

1. The slab was designed for an imposed load of 5 kN/m² because the room will be used for storage.

2. Don't stack the blocks there; that part of the floor isn't ready to take the load yet.

3. The columns transfer the load from the roof down to the foundations.

Common collocations

• carry a load
• transfer loads
• load combination
• design load
• distributed load

Related terms

• dead loadThe permanent weight a structure always carries: its own self-weight plus fixed items such as floor finishes, walls, ceilings and fixed equipment.
• live loadThe load from things that move or change over time, such as people, furniture, vehicles and stored goods. It is also called imposed load.
• load-bearingDescribes a wall or other element that carries weight from the structure above, so it cannot be removed without providing another support.
• beamA horizontal structural member that carries loads across an opening and passes them to the columns or walls at its ends. It works mainly in bending.
• seismicRelating to earthquakes and the ground shaking they cause. In engineering it describes the loads, design rules and details that help structures resist earthquakes.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• load · Electrical & Electronics Engineering
• load · Mechanical Engineering
• load · Energy & Renewables

More terms: Structures and Loads

• column
• slab
• span
• cantilever
• deflection
• bending moment
• shear