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In probabilistic structural design some actions on structures can be well described by renewal processes with intermittencies. The expected number of renewals for a given time interval and the probability of “on“-state at an arbitrary point in time are of a main interest when estimating the structural reliability level related to the observed period. It appears that the expected number of renewals follows the Poisson distribution. The initial probability of “on”-state is derived assuming random initial conditions. Based on a two-state Markov process, the probability of “on”-state at an arbitrary point in time then proves to be a time-invariant quantity under random initial conditions. The results are numerically verified by Monte Carlo simulations. It is anticipated that the proposed load effect model will become a useful tool in probabilistic structural design. The aims of future research are outlined in the conclusions of the paper.