---
title: "Creep"
slug: "creep-1"
updated: 2026-10-27T23:12:43Z
published: 2026-10-27T23:12:43Z
canonical: "ims-handbook.cenosco.com/creep-1"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ims-handbook.cenosco.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creep

## Summary

Creep is defined as the time-dependent deformation of materials under stress at elevated temperature. The rate at which a material will creep is dependent upon its strength, the imposed stress (thus pressure) and the metal temperature. A plot of plastic strain versus the log of time typically represents the creep response of a material in three stages.

Unexpected creep may be the result of coke formation (coking) and decoking operations – such as pigging or steam decoking – may cause erosive damage to equipment.

[PDF document](https://cdn.document360.io/e492a0e0-a4ba-4aca-8fc6-76b95f91fdf3/Images/Documentation/CEN.16.10649%20-%20Creep(1).pdf?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-28T13%3A36%3A05Z&se=2026-10-28T14%3A36%3A05Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=sND6VCIuYnOBmEUed6204IfZPW127Z2ULRq61zti%2F84%3D)