“…Tunneling cracks have been modelled extensively through the last three decades using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) [22,23,24,25,19,26,27]. From a modelling perspective, this cracking mechanism is closely related to channeling cracks in thin films [28,29,30,31,32]. One of the first models of a single tunneling crack embedded in-between thick substrates were developed using 2D finite element (FE) modelling and LEFM [22,23,24].…”