Reference Stress for Redistribution Time in Creep of Structures

Abstract

When creep occurs in a structure subject to a step load the stresses redistribute with time. It is shown that if the initial stress distribution is the linear elastic one, and the material obeys an n-power creep law, the time for a particular stress to reach its steady state value may be estimated from the results of a single creep test at a selected value of stress with-out the parameters of the creep law being known. This reference stress is identified from the results of an appropriate elastic-creep analysis.