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Purpose: Structural design theory and method for the polyurea coating system have rarely been developed. The normally used experience-based design method may lead to unsafe, unreasonable and uneconomic results. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the deformation and failure behaviour of the polyurea coating so as to propose a rational design method. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the fundamental theories concerning the nonlinear analysis of polyurea coating were discussed. Nonlinear Finite Element Method (FEM) models were built to investigate the mechanical behaviour, peeling behaviour and failure mode of the polyurea coating under various conditions, such as surface fracturing, surface hydraulic pressure and reverse hydraulic peeling. Findings: The main conclusions are as follows. The peeled coating at the crack location exhibits a tensile-bending stress state. Coating material damage may occur at the stress concentration point. The maximum stress increases with the increase in the hydraulic pressure and cohesive strength. The peeling length of the coating decreases with the increase in cohesive strength and increases with the increase in fracture width. The reverse hydraulic pressure-induced blister edge stress concentration is the main trigger of the polyurea coating blistering damage. The blistering height decreases with increasing coating thickness and increases with increasing blistering radius and hydraulic load. The maximum stress increases with increasing blistering radius and hydraulic load. Finally, the frame of design and simple design programme were proposed. Originality/value: Currently, a design method for polyurea anti-seepage coating can hardly be found. The reason is that the anti-seepage coating has only been recognized as a water-proofing layer, the mechanical behaviour of which has been ignored. This study focused on the mechanical behaviour of the anti-seepage coating and investigated the deformation and failure behaviour of the coating structure under various loading conditions through nonlinear FEM analysis. These research results offer a better understanding concerning the mechanical behaviour and design method of the polyurea anti-seepage coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The behavior of joints has a significant effect on the stability of water conveyance tunnel. The purpose of this paper is to study the contact and friction at the joint of the tunneling segment lining and establish its contact friction model. At the same time, the stress and deformation characteristics at the joint of the segment under hydrostatic load are analyzed. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the contact and friction in a bolted joint are examined using shear testing. The feasibility of the proposed model is verified by a numerical simulation of tests and a theoretical analysis. Accordingly, the effect of joints on the lining is explored under internal hydrostatic loading. Findings: The results show that the openings of tunnel segments in joints gradually expand from the positions of the inner and outer edges to the location of the bolt. Moreover, the stress concentration zone is formed at the bolt. Under hydraulic loading, the opening displacement at the joint increases as the water pressure increases; nevertheless, it does not exceed engineering requirements. When the water pressure of the tunnel lining joint reaches 0.5 MPa, the opening of the joint slowly increases. When the water pressure exceeds 0.7 MPa, the opening of the joint rapidly and significantly increases. Originality/value: Contact and friction in a bolted joint were examined using shear testing. A cohesive zone model of bolted joints was proposed based on test results. The influence of joint behavior on the stability of water conveyance tunnel was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]