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Models for creep of concrete, with special emphasis on probabilistic aspects

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Abstract

Six simple requirements are presented for constitutive equations for creep of concrete stressed within the working range. The resulting theory is not complete, but a unique representation of irreversible creep is obtained. The use of products of age and duration functions is shown to be unsuitable for representation of total creep, but is useful for reversible creep. There are several adequate representations of reversible creep and some of these are reviewed. The use of the methods of viscoelastic theory in stress analysis and some aspects of non-linear behaviour are briefly discussed. The question of whether creep of a macroscopic specimen at constant temperature and humidity is a stochastic process is examined on the basis of a set of experimental results and by taking into account the fact that macroscopic creep is the sum (both spatially and temporarily) of a very large number of molecular events. It is concluded that creep curves are different in scale but are not stochastic, in the sense that they exhibit negligible scatter about the mean of the particular curve being measured. However, gauge, temperature and humidity variation can cause stochastic variation. Lastly, a Bayesian approach to the engineering problem of dealing with uncertainty regarding the magnitude of creep is suggested.

Résumé

Dans cet article on décrit les six conditions à remplir par les équations constitutives pour le fluage du béton soumis à des contraintes dans les conditions de service. Il en résulte une théorie qui n'est pas complète, mais on obtient une représentation unique du fluage irréversible. On montre que l'utilisation des produits des fonctions de l'âge au moment du chargement et dans l'intervalle qui suit, ne convient pas à la représentation du fluage total, mais que celle-ci est utile dans le cas du fluage réversible. Il existe plusieurs représentations adéquates du fluage réversible, dont quelques-unes sont présentées. L'utilisation des méthodes de la théorie visco-élastique dans l'analyse de la contrainte des structures en béton est brièvement résumée; ainsi que quelques aspects des effects non linéaires. On examine la question suivante: le fluage d'un spécimen macroscopique à une température et une humidité constantes est-il un processus stochastique? Cette étude s'appuie sur un ensemble de résultats expérimentaux, et tient compte du fait que le fluage macroscopique est la somme, sur un plan spatial ainsi que temporel, d'un très grand nombre d'évènements moléculaires. On en conclut que les courbes de fluage sont à des échelles différentes, mais ne sont pas stochastiques, dans le sens qu'elles présentent une dispersion négligeable autour de la moyenne de la courbe particulière que l'on mesure. Néanmoins, les variations de température et d'humidité peuvent causer une variation stochastique. Enfin, on propose d'appliquer le théorème de Bayes au problème technique que pose le manque de certitude à propos du degré de fluage.

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  1. University of Calgary, T2N 1N4, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    I. J. Jordaan (Professor of Civil Engineering)

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Jordaan, I.J. Models for creep of concrete, with special emphasis on probabilistic aspects. Mat. Constr. 13, 29–40 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02474019

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