A live load consists of any variable weight applied to a building structure, such as people, furniture, vehicles, snow, or wind. Engineers calculate these dynamic forces based on building codes to ensure floors and roofs do not deflect or collapse under use. This contrasts with the permanent weight of the building materials themselves.
Heard on the job
The second-floor framing needs to be beefed up to handle the live load of that new gym equipment.
Do not mix it up with
- Dead load: Live load is temporary and variable, while dead load is the permanent weight of the structure itself.
Related terms
Dead load
The permanent, stationary weight of a building's structural elements and fixed equipment.
Design load
The maximum combination of forces a structure is engineered to safely support.
Snow load
The downward force exerted on a building by accumulated snow and ice.
Static load
A constant, stationary force applied to a structure over an extended period.