The properties of rock mass and in-situ stresses are important parameters for tunnel design. In engineering practice, the underground openings can be considered as large-scale in-situ tests. In this paper, a back-analysis method based on the measured displacements during excavations of pilots or tunnels is introduced to estimate these parameters. The basic concept, analysis procedure, advantages and limitations of the back-analysis method in tunnelling are also described. Three examples of tunnels in central Taiwan are presented to show the efficiency and applicablility of the back-analysis method for estimating the field parameters of rock mass.