Abstract: Shield tunnel composite lining under high internal water pressure is a new structure coming into use, while effective practical methods for its force calculation are still lacking. In this paper, a load-structure method is used to calculate the surrounding rock and lining layers separately ? for each layer, first obtaining the relationship of its radial displacement versus the internal water pressure, and then determining the load according to the displacement compatibility. The bearing capacity of the composite lining can be defined as the internal water pressure assumed by each component, plus the internal water pressure that can be balanced by the water and soil pressure outside the tunnel. This method is applied to a preliminary analysis of existing tunnels and achieves good agreements with FEM simulations. It is based on the clear concepts of mechanics and easy to apply, thus providing a practical method for analysis of shield tunnel lining.