<p>TBM tunnels cause less disturbance to the surrounding rock mass than drill-and-blast tunnels, resulting in significant differences in the deformation of the surrounding rock mass and the forces on the support structure. Field tests are conducted on the West Qinling tunnel to examine the extent of surrounding rock mass disturbance using TBM and drill-and-blast methods. The analysis encompasses the pressure variation in the surrounding rock mass and the force characteristics of the support structure. The findings demonstrate that the excavation method greatly influences the disturbance of the surrounding rock mass. The height of the loosened zone in TBM excavation is approximately 30% less than that in drill-and-blast excavation. During TBM excavation, the stress in the surrounding rock mass gradually transitions to a secondary stress state. The loosened pressure constitutes a small fraction of the total pressure of the surrounding rock mass, with the latter being predominantly deformation pressure. The secondary lining in TBM-excavated sections is governed by the compressive strength of concrete, with axial force being the primary internal force affecting structural safety. The tunnel hance exhibits the highest safety factor, while the tunnel roof has the lowest. Numerical models are developed to investigate the distribution of the shear slip and plastic zones in the surrounding rock mass. The results indicated that the depth of the plastic zone is about 0.5&#xa0;m deeper than that of the loosened zone. The field-tested pressure of the surrounding rock mass corresponds to the self-weight of the surrounding rock mass in the 10&#xa0;mm shear slip zone. This 10&#xa0;mm shear slip zone can approximate the pressure values of the surrounding rock mass.</p>