[en] The containment of the reactor compartment should ensure the integrity of the interior at the time of the accident. For compression containment tensioning ropes are used. Ropes rub against the wall of the holes in the shell. Due to the tension of the ropes the crack opening is prevented. Over time, polymer protective sheaths of ropes are destroyed. In the wire ropes there are abrasive cracks. It is necessary to know the durability of the polymeric materials of the channel formers and the tubes of the reinforcement ropes to determine the coefficient of friction of reinforcing ropes along the channel formers in time during the operation of the containment. To accurately determine the nonlinear processes of polymer degradation on the basis of experimental studies, a technique is needed for carrying out the testing of polymer samples, processing the results of the studies. Such methods are not available in the regulatory documents of nuclear energy and the construction industry in Ukraine. In the article: the main provisions of the process of determining the durability of polymer materials based on the results of testing the samples are described; the procedure of determining the durability of polymeric materials according to their tests after accelerated aging from the temperature action is described; the procedure of determination of the growth rate of activation energy of a polymer based on the results of tests at T > TV is stated; the procedure of determination of the reduction rate of activation energy of a polymer according to the results of tests at T < TK is stated; the procedure of determination of durability of polymeric materials on the results of their tests after accelerated aging from the effect of ultraviolet irradiation is described; the procedure of determination of the shift of the critical temperature of the fragility of the polymeric material due to thermal aging is described; the procedure of determination of the durability of polymeric materials aging due to temperature and irradiation based on the results of their tests on impact strength is described; the procedure of the determination of the durability of polymeric materials aging due to temperature and irradiation based on the results of their axial stretching tests is described. The obtained results can be used in the determination of rheological changes of polymer materials, coefficients of friction of reinforcement along the channel, durability of polymeric channels and polymeric protective tubes of reinforcing ropes, and other polymers used in protective casings of reactor units of the NPP. (author)