Which term describes the force produced by the flow of wind around structures?

• A. Live load
• B. Wind load
• C. Construction load
• D. Design Lane Load

Answer: (B)

Wind load is the force produced by wind flow around structures. It includes both static pressure from gusts and dynamic effects due to turbulence, creating horizontal forces on surfaces and sometimes uplift that must be resisted by the design. Live load refers to the weight of occupants and movable contents during use, construction load is the temporary loads during construction, and a design lane load is not a standard term in bridge design. Therefore, the force described by wind flow around structures is wind load.