The pressure drop and the fluid velocity profiles were investigated experimentally and numerically in the model packings of complex geometry. The numerical estimations were performed by means of the hybrid method involving the use of structural macro-correlations. In this paper it has been demonstrated on several examples that the structural macro-correlations allow to predict the macro-scale flow behaviour in non-homogeneous packings. Finally, the recent mechanistic approaches to flow modelling in packed tubes of low tube-to-particle diameter ratio have been discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.