EDF Study of 10-Year Concrete Creep under Unidirectional and Biaxial Loading: Evolution of the Poisson Coefficient under Sealed and Unsealed Conditions

• Published in: CONCREEP 10 pp. 1381 - 1390
• Main Authors: Le Pape, Y, Charpin, L, Coustabeau, E, Montalvo, J, Masson, B
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0784479348; 9780784479346
• DOI: 10.1061/9780784479346.163

The post-tensioned inner concrete containment building of nearly half of the French nuclear power plants has the role of barrier against potential radiological release, since these containments buildings have no metallic liner. Hence, the integrity of concrete and the stability of post-tensioning are of paramount importance. Since the variation of post-tensioning is partly due to concrete creep, EDF has been interested in the subject for more than two decades. This article presents the results of experiments performed on a concrete similar to that of a concrete containment building, with an emphasis on the bidimensional nature of creep, on the basis of 1D and 2D tests that were performed at EDF. The evolution of the creep Poisson ratio is discussed as well as its use by different authors. Creep is then analyzed in terms of deviatoric and volumetric components. We show that assuming a constant Poisson ratio is a good assumption.