Creep of timber during eight years in natural environments

An experimental study on the creep of timber under low load levels, typical of long duration loads in structures was made under both naturally varying sheltered and heated environments. The aim of the research was to gather information valid for code writers and to verify whether creep can be counteracted by surface coating. The results available for seven to eight years duration of experiments show continuous but slow tendency to creep (except creosoted specimens), and a clear dependency on surface coating. There is no practical difference in creep in heated room and in a sheltered space. Creep deformation, relative to elastic deformation, ranges from 0.3 to 1 after seven years load duration. For non-treated solid timber under lowest load levels the relative creep equals to 0.6. The lowest creep is observed with creosote impregnated specimens