Design load

In general, the term design load can refer to two distinct concepts:

  1. the maximum amount a system is designed to handle, or
  2. the maximum amount the system is capable of producing.

These interpretations represent fundamentally different aspects of system performance. The design load is either the same as or a multiple of the rated load, which represents the system's declared performance capacity, see structural design load section below.

Structures and pressure vessels have design loads of the first type. Electric motors, compressors and heaters have design loads of the second type. Cranes have design loads of both the first and second type because they have to lift a defined load and do that at a specified speed.

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