In structural engineering, what does the term 'load' refer to?

In structural engineering, the term 'load' specifically refers to the force applied to a structure. This encompasses various types of forces, including dead loads (the weight of the structure itself and any permanent attachments), live loads (temporary or movable forces such as people or furniture), environmental loads (such as wind or seismic activity), and other dynamic influences. Understanding the loads is crucial for the design and analysis of structures to ensure safety, stability, and functionality under anticipated conditions.

While the weight of materials used in construction is relevant to load calculations, it is just one component of the overall load that a structure must bear. Similarly, capacity is an important aspect of structural design but pertains to how much load a structure can safely support rather than the loads imposed on it. Visual assessments, while useful for evaluation, do not quantify the forces acting on the structure and therefore do not define what a load is in this context.