 Creep : The time-dependent increase of strain

in hardened concrete subjected to sustained

stress is known as Creep.
 The above definition is lumped with basic
creep and drying creep
 Basic creep : Occurs under the conditions of
no moisture movements
 Drying creep : Additional creep caused by
drying
εo is instantaneous strain on loading which is partly recoverable
with time (elastic) and partly no recoverable with time
(plastic).
 Primary creep : It is a transient creep . The
creep resistance of the material increases due to
the material deformation
 Secondary creep : Provides a constant creep
rate. The average value of the creep rate during
this period is called as Minimum Creep Rate.
 Tertiary creep : Shows a rapid increase in creep
rate due to effectively reduced c/s area of the
specimen.
 Mechanism:
 Movement of adsorbed water
 Viscous flow/ sliding between the gel particles
 Moisture loss
 Growth in micro cracks

 Effects:
 More Damaging to non load bearing components
 Increased deflection of beams and slabs
 Increased deflection of slender columns (leads to buckling)
 Transfer of load from concrete to steel in compression members
 Loss of prestress in prestressed concrete
 Creep increases when
 High cement content
 High water-cement ratio
 Low aggregate content
 High air entrainment
 Low relative humidity
 High temperature
 Small size/thickness of the member
 Early age loading
 Sustained loading for a long period
 Ultimate creep coefficient (θ)
=2.2 - 7 Days
=1.6 - 28 Days
=1.1 - 1 Year
 Reduced Elastic Modulus used for calculating
deflection
Effective Modulus of Elasticity Ece =Ec /(1+ θ)
- Ec - short-term elastic modulus
 Shrinkage : After hardening of concrete,
concrete volume decrease with the time
 Drying Shrinkage : Due to the moisture loss in
the concrete
 Autogenous Shrinkage : Caused by the
hydration of cement
 Carbonation Shrinkage: Hydration products
are carbonated in the presence of CO2
 Factors:
 Same as Creep

 Unlike creep, shrinkage strain is independent of the stress

conditions
 Shrinkage is reversible to a great extent

 Effects:
 Develop tensile stress which may lead to cracking
 Differential shrinkage may results in internal stress, curvature and
deflection
 Leads to loss of prestress in prestressed concrete

 Shrinkage can be minimized by keeping the water content as

low as possible and total aggregate content as high as
possible
 Usually expressed as linear strain (mm/mm)
 Ultimate shrinkage strain
=0.0003 mm/mm (IS: 456)
=0.0008 mm/mm (ACI Code)
 The shrinkage potential of a concrete mixture is
perhaps the most important consideration for
concrete used to construct industrial floors on
ground.
 This factor give rise to cracking, warping .
 Higher the additional water content, the higher
the shrinkage potential
 Concrete expands with increase in temperature
and contracts with decrease in temperature
 Temperature stress can also developed by
thermal gradient
 Temperature stresses can be minimized by
 Expansion Joints
 Nominal Reinforcement
 After hardening , concrete will contract as a
result of cooling after the peak heat of
hydration .
 Concrete has a coefficient of thermal expansion
and contraction of about 1*10^-6 mm/0C
 As a result 220C drop in temp. b/w day and
night can cause about 0.8mm of contraction in a
3 m length of concrete.
 It is advised to consider the installation of
control joints to minimize cracking
 Depends on
 Types of cement and aggregate
 Relative Humidity
 Member Size

 α = 6x10-6 to 12x10-6 mm/mm per 0C

 For Water tanks, Chimneys, Silos etc

α = 11x10-6 mm/mm per 0C