Native Access to Engineering - Worksheet 1 page 2 Structures can be both natural and made by people. Many of the structures which Aboriginal peoples have traditionally and historically designed are excellent examples of civil engineering. When people and nature design structures it is very important that the structures are strong enough to withstand the loads which will act on them.
Loads are forces which act on a structure.
There are two types of loads. Static loads include the force caused by the weight of the structure itself as well as the forces caused by the weight of objects placed in or on the structure. A sculpture sitting a floor is a static load.