bearing strength

bearing strength

[′ber·iŋ ‚strenkth] (mechanics) The maximum load that a column, wall, footing, or joint will sustain at failure, divided by the effective bearing area.

bearing strength

1. The maximum load that a column, footing, joint, or wall can sustain at failure, divided by the effective bearing area.2. The non-destructive limit of a pipe load; used to determine its supporting strength in the field.

bearing strength

The measure of the ability of a pavement to sustain the applied load (ICAO). Also called pavement strength or bearing capacity. See also pavement classification number.