Distributed Loads

A distributed load is a type of load that is spread over a surface or a structure.

Consider a bookshelf consisting of books. The weight of the books is evenly distributed over the area.

The pressure at different locations on the surface corresponds to the applied load over the area and is measured in Newton per square meter or Pascals.

Consider a hydroelectric dam, where the submerged surface is modeled as a rectangular plate.

For a small element of length dx; the force exerted on the element can be expressed as a distributed load given by wdx.

By integrating the force exerted on the element, the total load is determined, which is equal in magnitude to the total area under the load curve, and its line of action passes through the centroid of the area.

The point where the resultant force is applied is known as the center of pressure.