ISRM Suggested Methods for Determining the Creep Characteristics of Rock

ISRM suggested methods have been developed for laboratory creep testing of rocks in the light of the available creep testing techniques used in rock mechanics as well as other disciplines of engineering. The suggested methods for creep tests described herein concern the creep characteristics of intact rocks under the indirect tensile stress regime of the Brazilian test and the uniaxial and triaxial compression tests in the light of available creep testing techniques used in the field of rock mechanics as well as other disciplines of engineering under laboratory conditions. Apparatuses for creep tests can be of the cantilever type or the load/displacement-controlled type. The load is applied onto samples by attaching dead weights to the lever, which may be done manually for lowstress creep tests or mechanically for high-stress creep tests. Special setups may be used to achieve the appropriate saturation conditions. For performing creep experiments under different saturation conditions, the specimen should be sealed in a flexible membrane or coated with plastic or silicone rubber.