“…Concrete and cementitious materials are vulnerable to tension developing in individual components and structures. Reinforcing materials such as steel fibers [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ] are commonly used in concrete structures to control cracks [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The application of steel fiber reinforced shotcrete (SFRS) in tunneling construction has been part of tunneling practice since the 1970s, especially in Europe and the United States [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”