Word of the Day
17 September 2026
design load
nounConstruction
The total load on a structural system for the most severe combination of loads and forces which it is designed to sustain.
Why this one
The worst realistic combination of loads a structure is built to carry. Choosing that combination is most of the engineering.
In use
You can't park the excavator on that slab, the design load never accounted for tracked plant sitting on it.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.Sources
- Definition sourceWiktionary
- Supporting sourceDesign loadWikipedia