design load
Structural planning limit
Design load is the maximum stress, weight, or force that a structure or component is engineered to withstand safely.
Engineers calculate design loads to ensure buildings, bridges, aircraft, and machinery can handle expected conditions plus a safety margin: The bridge's design load accounts for traffic, wind, and seismic activity.
Exceeding design load risks structural failure.
Pressure, mental or vocal
- strainExcessive stretching force
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- tensionStretched or strained state
- shearLateral sliding force
deflection · beam · joist · truss · column · cantilever · foundation · reinforcement
Built-in tolerance for error
- margin of safetyAllowance beyond what's needed
- safety factorRatio of strength to load
- structural integrityWholeness under load
- ultimate strengthMaximum stress before fracture
overengineering · redundancy · tolerance · stress analysis · reliability · certification · inspection · regulations
stress
Pressure, mental or vocal
- strainExcessive stretching force
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- tensionStretched or strained state
shear · deflection · beam · joist · truss · column · cantilever · foundation · reinforcement · concrete
safety margin
Built-in tolerance for error
- margin of safetyAllowance beyond what's needed
- safety factorRatio of strength to load
- structural integrityWholeness under load
ultimate strength · overengineering · redundancy · tolerance · stress analysis · reliability · certification · inspection · regulations · building code