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To input creep and shrinkage properties in ETABS according to Eurocode 2, you’ll follow these steps
to define and apply them in the software. Here’s a detailed walkthrough, along with practical
calculations as per Eurocode guidelines.

1. Define Concrete Material Properties in ETABS

1. Open ETABS and go to Define > Material Properties.

2. Either select an existing concrete material or create a new one by clicking Add New Material.

3. Material Properties Setup:

Set Material Type as Concrete.

Enter standard properties: Concrete Compressive Strength (fck ), Elastic Modulus (Ecm ​ ​

), Poisson's Ratio, and Density.

2. Calculate Creep and Shrinkage Parameters (According to Eurocode 2)

Eurocode 2 provides methods to calculate creep coefficient (ϕ(t, t0 )) and shrinkage strain (ϵcs ) based ​ ​

on concrete characteristics, relative humidity, concrete age, and member thickness.

Parameters:

Concrete Strength Class fck : For example, C30/37 (30 MPa characteristic strength).
​

Relative Humidity (RH): Say, 70%.

Notional Size (h0): This is calculated as 2 × (Cross-Section Area / Perimeter). For a 300 mm x
600 mm beam:

2 × (300 × 600)
h0 = = 200 mm
2 × (300 + 600)
​ ​

Concrete Age at Loading (t0): Commonly 28 days.

Step-by-Step Creep Coefficient Calculation

1. Basic Creep Coefficient ϕ0 : ​

From Eurocode tables, for C30/37 at 70% RH, ϕ0 is approximately 2.5. ​

2. Development Factor βc (t, t0 ):

​ ​

t is the age of concrete in days, and t0 is the loading age. ​

Calculate t0.3 for desired age, e.g., t = 365 days for long-term effects:
0.3
t − t0
βc (t, t0 ) = ( )
​

t0
​ ​

Substitute to find ϕ(t, t0 ): ​

ϕ(t, t0 ) = ϕ0 ⋅ βc (t, t0 ) ≈ 2.5 × 1.2 = 3.0

​ ​ ​ ​

Shrinkage Strain Calculation

1. Drying Shrinkage Strain (ϵcd ): ​

Approximate value for C30/37, 70% RH, and h0 = 200 mm: ϵcd ​ ≈ 0.0002.
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2. Autogenous Shrinkage Strain (ϵca ): ​

For C30/37, autogenous shrinkage can be taken as 0.0001.

3. Total Shrinkage Strain (ϵcs ):

​

ϵcs = ϵcd + ϵca = 0.0002 + 0.0001 = 0.0003

​ ​ ​

3. Inputting Creep and Shrinkage in ETABS

1. Define Creep Properties:

In the Material Properties for your concrete material, find the field for Creep Coefficient.
Input 3.0 (calculated above).

2. Define Shrinkage Properties:

Enter Shrinkage Strain as 0.0003 (from our calculation).

4. Model Load Cases to Account for Long-Term Effects

1. Define Load Cases:

To simulate long-term loading effects, define a load case that represents sustained loads,
such as Dead Load (DL) or a Long-Term Load.

2. Set up Load Combinations:

Create combinations that include both immediate loads and sustained loads to account for
creep and shrinkage effects.

3. Run Time-Dependent Analysis (Optional):

If ETABS version allows, a Time-Dependent Analysis can model progressive deformation.

Enable this for detailed deflection over time.

Practical Example Summary

Suppose we are analyzing a 300 mm x 600 mm beam, C30/37, 70% RH, and 28-day loading age:

Creep Coefficient (ϕ(t, t0)): Input 3.0.

Shrinkage Strain (εcs): Input 0.0003.

Example Load Combinations in ETABS

Service Combination for Immediate Deflection: 1.0 × DL + 1.0 × LL

Service Combination for Long-Term Deflection: 1.0 × DL

These inputs and combinations enable ETABS to simulate the long-term structural response due to
creep and shrinkage as per Eurocode standards.

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How to input recommended creep and shrinkage properties of

concrete in ETABS as per Eurocode include pracctical examples

To input recommended creep and shrinkage properties for concrete in ETABS as per Eurocode 2,
you’ll need to define and calculate the specific creep and shrinkage parameters based on the
Eurocode guidelines, then input these values into ETABS. Here is a detailed process with a practical
example for clarity.

Step 1: Define Concrete Material Properties in ETABS

1. Open ETABS and navigate to Define > Material Properties.

2. Select the existing concrete material or create a new one by clicking Add New Material.

3. In the Material Properties dialog box:

Set Material Type to Concrete.

Enter the basic properties of the concrete (e.g., compressive strength fck , modulus of ​

elasticity Ecm , Poisson’s ratio, and density).

​

Step 2: Calculate Creep and Shrinkage According to Eurocode 2

Eurocode 2 provides formulas for estimating creep coefficient (ϕ) and shrinkage strain (ϵcs ) based on ​

factors like concrete strength, relative humidity, and member size.

Parameters for Calculation:

Concrete Strength: Let’s use C30/37 (characteristic strength fck ​ = 30 MPa).

Relative Humidity (RH): 70%.

Member Thickness (h): For a 300 mm x 600 mm beam, calculate Notional Size (h0) as follows:

2 × Cross-sectional Area 2 × (300 × 600)

h0 = = = 200 mm
Perimeter 2 × (300 + 600)
​ ​ ​

Age of Loading (t0): Typical value is 28 days.

Step-by-Step Creep Coefficient Calculation (ϕ(t, t0 )) ​

1. Basic Creep Coefficient (ϕ0 ): ​

For C30/37 concrete at 70% RH, approximate ϕ0 is 2.0 based on Eurocode tables.
​

2. Development Factor (βc (t, t0 )):

​ ​

Calculate the development factor, which depends on the age of concrete when loaded:
0.3
t − t0
βc (t, t0 ) = (
)
​

t0
​ ​

For long-term analysis, assume t = 365 days and t0 = 28 days: ​

0.3
365 − 28
βc (t, t0 ) = ( ) ≈ 1.2
28
​ ​ ​

3. Calculate Total Creep Coefficient:

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ϕ(t, t0 ) = ϕ0 × βc (t, t0 ) = 2.0 × 1.2 = 2.4
​ ​ ​ ​

Shrinkage Strain Calculation (ϵcs ) ​

1. Drying Shrinkage (ϵcd ):​

For C30/37 concrete, 70% RH, and h0 = 200 mm, a typical drying shrinkage value might be
around 0.0002.

2. Autogenous Shrinkage (ϵca ): ​

For C30/37 concrete, assume an autogenous shrinkage strain of 0.0001.

3. Total Shrinkage Strain:

ϵcs = ϵcd + ϵca = 0.0002 + 0.0001 = 0.0003

​ ​ ​

Step 3: Input Creep and Shrinkage Properties in ETABS

1. Creep Properties:

In the Material Properties for your concrete, find the field labeled Creep Coefficient.

Enter the value 2.4 as calculated above.

2. Shrinkage Properties:

Enter Shrinkage Strain as 0.0003.

Step 4: Define Long-Term Load Cases in ETABS

1. Define Load Cases:

For long-term deflections, create a load case that represents sustained loads, such as Dead
Load (DL).

2. Set up Load Combinations:

Use load combinations that incorporate sustained loads to account for the effects of creep
and shrinkage.

Example combinations could include:

Immediate Deflection: 1.0 × DL + 1.0 × LL

Long-Term Deflection: 1.0 × DL

3. Time-Dependent Analysis (Optional):

If ETABS version supports time-dependent analysis, this can be enabled to observe

progressive deformation over time, considering the defined creep and shrinkage effects.

Practical Example Summary

Suppose we have a 300 mm x 600 mm concrete beam, C30/37, with 70% relative humidity, and
a 28-day loading age. The steps and calculations are as follows:

Creep Coefficient (ϕ): 2.4 (based on Eurocode).

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Shrinkage Strain (εcs): 0.0003.

After inputting these into ETABS, you can run analysis cases to see long-term deflections and stress
changes due to creep and shrinkage. This setup will model realistic long-term behaviors of concrete
as per Eurocode 2 standards.

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