NCIDQ Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX) Practice Exam

The type of load characterized by sudden or rapid change is a dynamic load. Dynamic loads are those that vary over time and can be caused by forces such as moving vehicles, wind, seismic activity, or any situation where loads change quickly and unexpectedly. These loads are typically the result of motion and can include effects from acceleration and deceleration.

Dynamic loads are crucial for interior designers to consider because structures must be designed to withstand not just static forces, which remain constant, but also the additional stress caused by dynamic forces. Understanding this distinction helps ensure that buildings and interiors can accommodate fluctuations in load without structural failure.

Other types of loads listed, such as static loads, refer to forces that are unchanging over time and do not include rapid changes in magnitude or direction. Lateral loads specifically pertain to forces acting parallel to the ground, such as wind or earthquake forces, and impact loads are a subset of dynamic loads that originate from a collision or strike, but dynamic loads encompass a broader range of quickly varying forces.