A 4D geometrical modeling of a material aging
  4-dim intrinsic (material) Riemannian metric $G$ of the material 4-D space-time continuum $P$ is utilized as the characteristic of the aging processes developing in the material. Manifested through variation of basic material characteristics such as density, moduli of elasticity, yield stress, strength, and toughness., the aging process is modeled as the evolution of the metric $G$ (most importantly of its time component $G_{00}$) of the material space-time $P$ embedded into 4-D Newtonian space-time with Euclidean metric.\par   The evolutional equation for metric $G$ is derived by the classical variational approach. Construction of a Lagrangian for an aging elastic media and the derivation of a system of coupled elastostatic and aging equations constitute the central part of the work. The external and internal balance laws associated with symmetries of material and physical space-time geometries are briefly reviewed from a new viewpoint presented in the paper. Examples of the stress relaxation and creep of a homogeneous rod, cold drawing, and chemical degradation in a tubing are discussed. 
A. Chudnovsky, S. Preston