Raskendamine

Raskendamine is a noun in Estonian that denotes the process of increasing load or burden on a system, object, or organism, typically through the addition of mass, pressure, or demand. The term is formed from the verb raskendama (to burden, to weigh down) with the noun suffix -mine.

In engineering and related fields, raskendamine describes how structures or components respond as external loads are incrementally increased, for example in load-testing procedures to determine strength, safety margins, and failure points. In materials science, it can refer to the progressive accumulation of stress leading to deformation or fracture. In physiology and ergonomics, the term is used metaphorically to discuss how cumulative stress, workload, or health burdens strain an organism or system.

Examples of raskendamine include a bridge under gradually added live load showing greater deflection and internal stress, a battery subjected to sustained high discharge where capacity and efficiency decline, and work environments where prolonged periods of activity contribute to diminishing performance or well-being due to accumulating strain.

The term remains relatively specialized and is more common in technical Estonian-language texts than in everyday speech. See also koormus (load) and koormustest (load testing).