ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Wave loading

Imagine you're at the beach and the waves are coming towards you. Have you ever noticed how your body moves up and down as the waves pass by? This is called wave loading.

When we talk about wave loading, we are talking about how the waves in the water push and pull on objects in the water, like boats or docks. These waves can be really strong and powerful, and they can cause a lot of movement in the objects they hit.

Wave loading happens because of something called the "restoring force" of water. This force is what makes the water want to go back to its original shape after a wave passes through. But when the waves are really strong, they can push the water so much that it causes the objects in the water to move up and down, side to side, or even rotate.

People who design things like boats and bridges need to understand wave loading so that they can make sure their designs can handle the movement caused by waves. If they don't design their objects to withstand wave loading, they can break or be damaged by the force of the waves.

So, wave loading is when waves in water push and pull on objects in the water, which can cause them to move in different ways. It's important to consider wave loading when designing objects that will be in the water, so that they won't get damaged by the power of the waves.