load bearing
Holding things up
Load bearing describes something that supports weight or structural stress.
A load-bearing wall holds up floors or roof above it and cannot be removed without compromising the building.
The term extends to any component designed to carry weight: load-bearing beams, load-bearing joints.
Figuratively, someone might be the load-bearing member of a team—the one who carries the weight.
Structural support member
- columnVertical structural element
- joistHorizontal structural beam
- girderMain structural support beam
- trussLoad-bearing beam arrangement
lintel · rafter · post · stanchion · buttress · arch · cantilever · pier
Vertebral column, or courage
- pillarUpright architectural support
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- anchorSecures ships to seabed
- linchpinVital securing element
foundation · keystone · mainstay · bedrock · bulwark · support · weight · burden
Solid building mixture
- steelCarbon-hardened iron alloy
- masonryBuilding with mortared blocks
- timberWood for construction
- reinforcementAdding support or encouragement
aggregate · rebar · engineered wood · brick · stone · iron · composite · cinder block
Forcing into smaller space
- tensionStretched or strained state
- shearLateral sliding force
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- strainExcessive stretching force
deflection · moment · torsion · buckling · fatigue · safety factor · structural integrity · weight transfer
Secure ground position
- substructureSupporting base beneath
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- baseSupporting bottom structure
- underpinningFoundational support beneath
plinth · piling · slab · foundation wall · caisson · frost line · footer · crawl space
beam
Structural support member
truss · lintel · rafter · post · stanchion · buttress · arch · cantilever · pier · brace
backbone
Vertebral column, or courage
- pillarUpright architectural support
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- anchorSecures ships to seabed
linchpin · foundation · keystone · mainstay · bedrock · bulwark · support · weight · burden · responsibility
concrete
Solid building mixture
reinforcement · aggregate · rebar · engineered wood · brick · stone · iron · composite · cinder block · I-beam
compression
Forcing into smaller space
strain · deflection · moment · torsion · buckling · fatigue · safety factor · structural integrity · weight transfer
footing
Secure ground position
- substructureSupporting base beneath
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- baseSupporting bottom structure
underpinning · plinth · piling · slab · foundation wall · caisson · frost line · footer · crawl space
- engineeringengineers, civil engineering, engineering, electrical engineering, blueprint
- Building metaphorsfoundation, building blocks, cornerstone, pillar, framework
- carryingcarry, carrying, tote, haul, toting
- durabilitytoughness, durable, sturdiness, robustness, sturdy
- structureshouse, bridge, buildings, dome, building
- columnspillar, column, pillars, shaft, shafts
load bearingcurtain wall
Non-load-bearing outer shell
decorative · ornamental · partition wall · infill · cosmetic
load bearingremovable
Capable of being detached
dispensable · non-essential · redundant · optional · superfluous
load, unload, bearing, loads, loaded, overload, bearable, unbearable, bearings