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Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485

International Conference on Analytical Models and New Concepts in Concrete and Masonry
Structures AMCM’2017

Comparative analysis of creep in standard and fibre reinforced

concretes under different load conditions
Jarosáaw Báyszkoa,*
a
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin,
adress:Al. Piastów 50, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland

Abstract

The paper presents comparison of creep measurments in normal concrete and concrete modified with dispersed reinforcement -
polypropylene and steel fibres (FRC). The tests were performed for two levels of applied load: 40% and 80% of the destructive
load at the load time, respectively, at 1, 4, 7 and 28 days. The resulting creep strain was compared with the calculating method
from Eurocode 2, and Pre-norm Fib 2010. Significant differences in the results of the creep calculated based on the Code and
measured in the research were noticed. It was also shown that the creep of FRC has different development compared to the
normal concrete especially under early-age load. The value of proposed creep factor for young concrete calculated based on study
results was few times higher than calculated based on the Code. The creep strain of fibre reinforced concrete loaded at the age of
24 hours was, moreover much higher than of concrete without fibres. The paper illustrated differences in the dynamics and final
values of creep deformation of normal concrete and fibre reinforcement concrete.

©
©2017
2017TheTheAuthors. Published
Authors. by Elsevier
Published Ltd. This
by Elsevier Ltd.is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Analytical Models and New
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Analytical Models and New Concepts in
Conceptsand
Concrete in Masonry
ConcreteStructures
and Masonry Structures.

Keywords: creep of concrete, young concrete, fibre reinforcement concrete

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: blyszko@zut.edu.pl

1877-7058 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Analytical Models and New Concepts in Concrete and
Masonry Structures
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.06.240
 Jarosław Błyszko / Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485 479

1. Introduction

Dispersed reinforcement have been already used in concrete materials for a long time. To counter the negative
characteristics of brittle materials e.g. clay, short plant fibres or animal hair have been added to the plastic mix to
create a material combining properties of both components in hardened state [1]. Use of the dispersed reinforcement
in concrete was invented by A. Bernard who in 1874 patented strengthening the concrete byadding steel splinters to
concrete mix. In 1918 H Alfsen patented the method of producing concrete with different material fibres, including
wooden splinters for improvement of tensile strength [2,3]. One of the most popular additive were asbestos fibres,
which increased the strength of concrete paste but were harmful for the health. In civil engineering, fibres were
commonly used in concretes since ’70 of the 20th century [4,5]. The Majority of Fibre Reinforced Concretes (FRC)
contain one of the two types of fibres: steel fibres, which prevent cracking and increase the overall strength, and
polypropylene fibres which eliminate the cracking in early stages of concrete hardening. Addition of fibres changes
the concrete from a brittle material to somewhat a ductile one [6,7]. Fibres change the cracking development and
increase the impact resistance [8,9]. The increase of strength properties is especially visible with steel fibres, which
typical dosage is about 30-50 kg/m3.
Microfibres made from synthetic materials (polypropylene PP, polyvinyl alcohol PVA) are usually dosed at
0.1% volume (approximately 1 kg/m3). Their role is to reduce the plastic and drying shrinkage and reduce the
cracking of early-age concrete. Some studies tried to determine the influence of dispersed reinforcement on the
concrete’s creep, but the results are not unambiguous [10]. Some authors clearly indicated that the addition of
different steel fibres can reduce both the shrinkage and creep [11-15]. They additionally tried to model the creep of
modified concrete. In the research of Ding and Kusterle [16] addition of fibres clearly increased the creep –
proportionally to their content in concrete. Similarly, in study conducted by Bissonnette, Pigeon and Vaysburd [17]
creep increased with the addition of fibres both under compressive and tensile load. Comparison of the results of
particular studies (regarding both quantitative and qualitative aspects) is often impossible because of the differences
in mix design (use of fly ash, silica dust and plasticizer) and test conditions (temperature, humidity, insulation of
samples and load). There are not many results that consider the creep of early-age concrete. Presented article
analyses the influence of age and applied load on the creep of standard and fibre reinforced concrete.

2. Tests

2.1. Materials

The research was conducted on standard concrete with compressive strength of 30 MPa (C25/30 class) containing
350 kg/m3 of low heat cement (CEM III-A 32,5 N). The w/c ratio was set to 0.5. Concrete contained 1870 kg/m3 of
well-graded aggregate with 30% of sand (0-2 mm) and 70% of coarse aggregate (2-8 mm). Both steel and
polypropylene (PP) fibres were used as dispersed reinforcement. To unify the consistency of the standard and FR
concrete the author used superplasticizer Sika ViscoCrete 3. The superplasticizer has high flow improvement
capabilities and low dosage, thus its influence on test results is limited. Concretes contents are shown in Table 1.
Physical and mechanical properties of used fibres are shown in Table 2. The mix design of FRC as well as the
amount of fibres was determined based on previous research made in the Department of Reinforced Concrete and
Concrete Technology at West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin [18]. Both fibres were used to
produce the concrete. The idea was that PP fibres will work mostly in the early-age concrete, while steel in later
stages.

2.2. Method

The creep test under compression was performed on cylindrical specimen with the dimensions of 150 x 300 mm.
Throughout the whole period of hardening the samples were stored under conditions of high humidity
(approximately 95%) and temperature of 21 ± 2°C. The tests included comparison of concrete’s compressive
strength and modulus of elasticity. To determine the creep deformation for both concretes, the free shrinkage of
same-sized samples was measured. The samples were insulated with couple layers of the polypropylene foil to
480 Jarosław Błyszko / Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485

prevent the water from escaping. Each test was performed simultaneously on 3 specimen using a pressure creep test
machine with maximum load of 1000 kN by WaltherBai AG. Changes in the linear length of specimen were
measured with pair of induction gauges. Tested specimen were placed under pressure plates were they were applied
with load by the hydraulic pump in 60-90 s periods. First deformations were measured after 120 s followed by
measurements every 3 minutes. The load was applied to the samples at 24, 96, 168 and 672 hours. Applied load was
equal to 40% and 85% of destructive load determined at the day of the particular test. The values of measured
modulus of elasticity are shown in Figure 1, development of the compressive strengths are shown in Figure 2 and
measured shrinkage deformation as well as standard curves are shown in Figure 3. Test bench is visible in Image 1
with insulated specimen during creep test. Table 3 presents the mean compressive strength of concrete from
respective test series and applied loads.

Table 1. Mix design

Standard concrete BZ Fibre reinforcement concrete FB
Components
content [kg/m3] content [kg/m3]
Cement CEM III/A 32,5 N-LH/HSR/NA 350 350
Water 175 175
Aggregate
1870 1870
0-2 mm – 30%, 2-8 mm – 70%
Steel fibre Dramix 3D 50/0.62 mm - 50
PP fibre SIKA TEXA-FIB length 19 mm - 2.0
Superplasticizer SIKA Viscocrete 3 0.4% mass of cement - 1.40

Table 2. Physical and mechanical properties of used fibres

Density Length Diameter Tensile strength Modulus of elasticity
Fibre Name
[kg/dm3] [mm] [mm] [MPa] [MPa]
PP Texa-Fib 3 0.91 19 0.003 420 3800
Steel Dramix 3D 7.85 50 0.62 1270 210000

Table 3. Mean compressive strength of concrete from respective test series and applied loads
Age of concrete [h] 24 96 168 672
fc(t0) [MPa] 5.39 20.67 25.36 27.18
BZ 40% σc0 [MPa] 2.47 7.81 9.83 10.76
σ/fc [%] 46% 38% 39% 40%

fc(t0) [MPa] 6.66 21.85 29.73 39.90

FB 40% σc0 [MPa] 2.77 8.62 11.78 15.45
σ/fc [%] 42% 40% 40% 39%

fc(t0) [MPa] 3.62 12.91 28.00 29.55

BZ 85% σc0 [MPa] 3.06 9.32 21.32 24.52
σ/fc [%] 85% 73% 76% 83%
fc(t0) [MPa] 6.11 17.27 24.47 35.9
FB 85% σc0 [MPa] 4.83 12.68 21.1 28.6
σ/fc [%] 79% 74% 86% 80%
 Jarosław Błyszko / Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485 481

Fig. 1. Development of Young modulus Fig. 2. Development of compressive strengths

Fig. 3. (b) Measured shrinkage deformation

Fig. 3. (a) Insulated specimen in the test bench

482 Jarosław Błyszko / Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485

3. Analysis of the results

Values of creep deformation were calculated using formula:

(1)
ε p ( t ,t 0 ) = ε c ( t ,t 0 ) − ε 0 ( t 0 ) − ε s ( t ,t 0 )
where:
ε p(t ,t 0 ) – creep deformation from time t0 to t of concrete with applied load at age of t0,
ε c(t ,t 0 ) – total deformation measured from time t0 to t of concrete with applied load at age of t0,
ε0(t 0 ) – initial deformation at the time of load application,
ε s(t ,t 0) – shrinkage deformation from time t0 to t of concrete with applied load at age of t0.

Figures 4-7 present the results of creep deformation of concrete under load for the first 240 hours. Figure 8
shows the comparison of creep deformation of standard concrete and FR concrete under applied load of 40%,
whereas Figure 9 shows the same concretes under applied load of 85%. The shrinkage tests measured overall
deformation of concretes. Due to good insulation of the specimen and constant thermal conditions during the tests
it’s safe to say that the shrinkage results correspond with autogenous shrinkage deformations which is proven by the
curves from Code in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4. Creep of standard concrete under applied load of 40% Fig. 5. Creep of FR concrete under applied load of 40%

Fig.. 6. Creep of standard concrete under applied load of 80% Fig. 7. Creep of FR concrete under applied load of 80%

3.1. Influence of concrete’s age on creep

Based on the presented results it can be stated that standard and FR concrete exhibit the biggest creep under load
at the age of 4-7 days. Young concretes (24 h) in which hydration processes are still ongoing exhibit small creep
 Jarosław Błyszko / Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485 483

after initial period of load application. It is considered to be the result of significant decrease of stress-to-strength
relationship in concrete. In hardened concrete (4-28 days) the stress applied at the moment of load application is so
high in relation to strength during the whole test that it results in visible creep even with increase of strength of the
concrete. The current methods for determination of creep coefficient found in the Code does not consider the change
of concrete’s mechanical properties in time. In practice the studies on concrete younger than 28 days rarely occure.

3.2. Influence of fibres on creep

Results of the comparison of standard and FR concrete shown in Figures 8 and 9 allow to state that creep of
concrete with fibres is higher than standard concrete under similar stress. In young concrete (24 h) and hardened
concrete (672 h) initial creep of FRC had more intense development – deformation in first hours increased faster
than in concrete without fibres. Clear increase of deformations in the first hours of loading is visible in young FRC
both for low load (40%) and high load (85%). In hardened concrete (28 days) at 40% load the creep of FRC is
higher than in the standard concrete, whereas the increase of deformations in time is more proportional. Generally it
can be said that there are differences in the creep of standard and FR concretes depending on the age of concrete at
the time of loading.

Fig. 8. Comparison of creep under applied load of 40% Fig 9. Comparison of creep under applied load of 80%

3.3. Comparison of creep deformation with calculations from Code

Results of analysis of the influence of fibres on creep deformation were compared to the creep coefficient
calculated based on formulas from Code PN-EN 1992 (EC2) for standard and fibre reinforced concretes. It must be
noted that in European Code there are no formulas regarding determination of creep of concretes with fibre
additives. Tables 4 and 5 show creep coefficients calculated based on EC2 and presented study. Creep coefficient
was calculated based on following formula:

Ec
ϕ ( t , t 0 ) TEST = ε cc ( t , t 0 ) TEST ⋅ (2)
σc

Table 4. creep coefficients calculated based on EC2 and presented study for standard concrete
Creep coefficient Standard concrete kσ < 0.45 Standard concrete kσ = 0.80

Age of concrete at load time

24 h 96 h 168 h 672 h 24 h 96 h 168 h 672 h

ϕ (t , t 0 ) CODE 0.92 0.67 0.58 0.41 1.67 1.01 0.92 0.73

ϕ (t , t 0 )TEST 1.41 0.99 0.64 0.34 3.01 3.14 1.82 1.01

484 Jarosław Błyszko / Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485

Δϕ 65% 68% 91% 121% 55% 32% 51% 72%

The creep coefficient ij normalizes both creep deformation and allows the analyses of deformation regardless of
the stresses. It was noticed that under 40% load at age of 24 and 672 h the creep coefficient of standard concrete is
lower than FR concrete by respectively 91% and 25%. At the age of 96 and 168 h the creep coefficient of standard
concrete is insignificantly higher than of FR concrete. In specimen with applied load of 85% of compressive
strength the results were similar. Creep coefficient of the FR concrete with applied load at age of 24 h is higher by
52% than of standard concrete, whereas at age of 96 h is lower by 36%.
Comparing the theoretical calculations with acquired test results it can be stated that the Code underestimates the
value of the rheological changes of concrete under the load during initial period of hardening. At the linear range the
value of theoretical deformation was approximately 65-68% of measured results for standard concrete at age of 1-4
days and only 27% of FRC under load at 24 hours. For higher loads, theoretical calculations comprise of only 32-
55% of measured deformation for standard concrete under load at age of 1-7 days and 27-36% for FRC. It was
noticed that there is a satisfactory correlation between theoretical and measured results for concrete under load at 28
days. At the linear range the differences did not exceed 21% both for standard and FR concretes, whereasin
nonlinear range they did not exceed 28% for standard and 22% for FR concrete.

Table 5. creep coefficients calculated based on EC2 and presented study for fibre reinforcement concrete

Creep coefficient FR concrete kσ < 0,45 FR concrete kσ = 0,80

Age of concrete at load time

24 h 96 h 168 h 672 h 24 h 96 h 168 h 672 h

ϕ (t , t 0 ) CODE 0.74 0.54 0.46 0.33 1.24 0.83 0.86 0.56

ϕ (t , t 0 )TEST 2.70 0.80 0.23 0.42 4.59 2.31 2.60 0.72

Δϕ 27% 68% 200% 79% 27% 36% 33% 78%

4. Summary

Presented results show a significant influence of fibres on the creep of concrete. It is visible especially in the
early-age and hardened concrete. The use of fibres can decrease the number of matrix defects in concrete and limit
the development of cracks. However, the positive influence of fibres is insignificant under load lower than the
destructive load. The stress analysis of elements with dispersed reinforcement, especially those loaded at an early
age or under indirect forces need to be done for different model than the one provided by the Code.
To sum up the research, following conclusion were drawn:
1. The use of fibres in concrete can in certain conditions increase the creep deformation, which concurs with
other studies.
2. Increase of Young’s modulus was noticed in Fibre Reinforced Concrete at age of 24 h. Despite higher
modulus of elasticity calculated in accordance with Code, the FRC under load at age 24 h shows higher
deformation.
3. The influence of Young’s modulus at later stages of concrete hardening (4-28 days) is insignificant.
4. The use of fibres increases the creep of early-age concrete. Polypropylene fibres with low modulus of
elasticity interact with the cement matrix. However, their occurrence creates additional sliding surfaces and
somewhat “soften” the structure of concrete which translates to higher deformation of early-age fibre
reinforced concrete. After rapid increase of deformation at 6-12 hours the creep of both standard and FR
concretes develops typically for set load.
5. In concretes at 96 and 168 hours, where modulus of elasticity for concrete and fibres differs greatly, the
influence of fibres both in linear and nonlinear range is insignificant.
6. In hardened concrete at loads significantly lower than the destructive load the use of fibres increases the
creep, whereas at applied load of 85% the creep was lower.
 Jarosław Błyszko / Procedia Engineering 193 (2017) 478 – 485 485

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