This contribution deals with an assessment of the added value resulting from the use of a multiscale model of concrete as the basis for structural analysis of a segmental tunnel ring. The assessment rests on the comparison of a triad of results. They are obtained from a real-scale test of a segmental tunnel ring, from conventional structural analysis based on the concrete model of the fib Model Code, and from multiscale structural analysis based on a more recently developed multiscale model of concrete. In the experiment, a segmental tunnel ring was subjected to point loads simulating ground pressure. For both modes of structural analysis, a nonlinear hybrid method was used. It is termed hybrid, because not only the external loading was part of the input, but also the displacements at the joints were measured during testing. The method is nonlinear, because bending-induced cracking of concrete is accounted for. The analyzed segmental tunnel ring was subdivided into elements that are either intact or contain one central crack band. Structural analysis was based on transfer relations, representing analytical solutions of the linear theory of circular arches. As for the convergences, it is shown that conventional and multiscale structural analysis are equally reliable. Concerning cracking of concrete, it is demonstrated that multiscale structural analysis allows for a correct prediction of the initiation of cracking, while the results from conventional structural analysis overestimate the external loading at initiation of cracking by 86%. This underlines the added value of multiscale structural analysis for durability analysis of segmental tunnel linings with a designed service life of 100 years and more. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.