Creep

Progressive deformation under sustained load. Temperature, stress and time affect it, so short bending tests cannot establish long-term deflection alone. Names and abbreviations: time-dependent deformation. Related terms: Joist spacing; Elastic modulus; Service life. Sources: https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/42497.pdf, https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/68010