Analytical solutions for rheological processes around bores and tunnels (Q2676416)

The research work presented in this paper is devoted towards generalizing the solution method for determining the rheological time dependence around metals recently proposed in a paper by the authors [``A solution method for determining rheological time dependence around tunnels'', in: Proceedings of the ISRM international symposium, EUROCK'20. Lisboa: International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. (2020); \url{https://onepetro.org/ISRMEUROCK/proceedings-abstract/EUROCK20/All-EUROCK20/ISRM-EUROCK-2020-017/447293})]. The generalization presented by the authors, although not as general as the formulations based on integral equations, develops and describes a methodology that covers many interesting practical applications pertaining to bore/tunnel modeling in solid mediums. A strong and rigorous mathematical analysis is presented in sufficient details for elastic and viscoelastic materials. A separate section is used to describe the solution method for four elastic spatial pattern sets. Several examples to illustrate the applications and advantages of the proposed methodology add to the value of the paper. The future directions for further work directions involving the use of numerical methods such as the finite difference and the finite element methods to solve bore/tunnel modeling for complex geometries where analytical solutions are not possible are outlined. The reviewer believes the paper to be of significant interest for individuals working in the area of bore/tunnel modeling.