Definition
The maximum weight a runway, taxiway, ramp, or other paved surface can safely support without structural damage. In the Chart Supplement, it is published for each airport surface using standard gear-configuration codes (single wheel, dual wheel, dual tandem, etc.) along with the corresponding weight limits in thousands of pounds.
Plain English
How much aircraft weight a runway or taxiway is built to handle without breaking up. The Chart Supplement lists this for each airport so pilots know whether their aircraft is too heavy for that surface.
Context Anchor
Seen in Chart Supplement airport information, especially in runway or surface data.
Derivation
Load means weight or something being carried. Bearing means supporting or carrying, not a compass direction. Capacity means the amount something can handle. Together, the phrase means how much weight the surface can support.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents pavement failure or aircraft damage by confirming the surface can support the planned aircraft weight before landing or taxiing.
Analogy
It is like a weight-limit sign on a bridge. The bridge may look strong, but the posted limit tells you what it is meant to support.
Intuition Check
Do not read load bearing capacity as cargo capacity or useful load. Here, it means the ground surface’s ability to support the aircraft’s weight.
Example Sentence 1
Before dispatching the King Air to the small rural field, the crew checked the runway's load bearing capacity in the Chart Supplement.
Example Sentence 2
Runway 18 had a load bearing capacity of 30,000 pounds, which was sufficient for the arriving aircraft.