The article considers the issue of estimating rigidity of the longitudinal fl joint of prefabricated tunnel linings with tensile bonding. Rigidity of fl joints affects correctness of estimation of predicted forces in tunnel linings. The tunnel design standards indicate the need to consider rigidity of joints of segments of prefabricated tunnel linings when calculating the forces in the load-carrying structures, however, the question of estimating the magnitude of the rigidity and methods for accounting for it remains open.The objective of the research is to study design assumptions and to reveal some results of estimation of rigidity of ordinary bolted joints of segments of prefabricated tunnel linings, as well as the effect of the rigidity on the forces in tunnel linings. The issue is relevant when performing checking calculations of existing structures and when designing new linings with rigid bolted joints and other tensile bonding elements.The article provides an analytical solution of the problem based on the compatibility of deformations of prefabricated elements, and shows the dependences obtained of the angle of mutual rotation of rigid segments of tunnel lining on bending moments, longitudinal forces, and geometric dimensions of lining elements. The correctness of the conclusions was verifi by a series of numerical experiments resulted in building of refi curves of the dependences of the same parameters, and in estimation of the spatial operation of cast-iron tubing in the contact area.Solving the contact and physically nonlinear problem of operation of a fl joint of cast-iron tubing with tensile bonding has allowed to identify at the beginning a set of linear deformations of functions of the dependence of the angle of rotation of the segments on the forces acting in them for a specific configuration of elements. A technique for applying the research results for modelling tunnel linings as a plane problem in the GTS NX environment is disclosed. Comparative modelling of the same type of test tasks for operation of annular tunnel linings showed that under various soil conditions, with introduction of joint rigidity parameters, an increase in bending moments up to 8 % is observed in the linings while longitudinal forces remain practically unchanged.