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Abstract: The creep of paper is accelerated by moisture cycling, an effect known as mechano-sorptive creep. It has also been observed that the mechano-sorptive effects are larger in compression than in tension. In this paper a simplified network model for mechano-sorptive creep is presented. It is assumed that the anisotropic hygroexpansion of the fibres leads to large stresses at the fibre–fibre bonds when the moisture content changes. The resulting stress state will accelerate creep if the fibre material obeys constitutive laws that are non-linear in stress. Geometrical fibre effects are included in the model in order to capture experimental observations of the differences between paper loaded in tension and compression. Theoretical predictions based on the developed model are compared to experimental results for paper both under tensile and compressive loading at varying moisture content. The important features in the experiments are captured by the model, i.e. the creep is accelerated by the moisture cycling and the mechano-sorptive effects are larger in compression than in tension. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]