Although identified on the basis of so-called instationaiy creep-tests the constifrvtive model of Eurocode 3 (EN 1993-1-2, 2010) - hereinafter refened to as EC3 - represents a non-linear rateindependent relationship between stress and meclianical strain. I.e. the experimentally observed phenomenou of creep at constant stress but linear time varying temperature is described only through the temperature dependence of the material parameters characterizing the EC3 constitutive model. As a consequence some important phenomena cannot properly be described: E.g. creep or relaxation at constant temperature, creep or relaxation at non-monotonic temperature rates or sensitivity of the instationary creep process on the temperatme rate.
The phenomenon of creep of structural steel in fire engineering is gaining more and more interest. Due to shortcomings of the EC3 constitutive model and other approaches based on classical creep theory an alternative approach mainly based on the ideas of Krempl is proposed. Due to this so-called operator approach the material as well as the constitutive model is looked upon as an operator. The application of this view serves as a guide through the analysis of the relationship between experimental facts and constitutive theory especially in the context of transient creep.