The construction techniques of tunnel boring machine(TBM), which is firstly applied in the Pinglin tunnel of Taipei-Ilan expressway, is founded and been improved domestically. Many difficulties were encountered during the construction of TBM in Pinglin tunnel because of the complicated and fractured geological structure especially at station 39k + 079 of Pinglin pilot tunnel. Large groundwater inflow, I.e. approximately 150 l/s, with high water pressure over 20 kg/cm^2 in hard and highly fractured Szeleng sandstone formation was encountered at station 39k+079 and approximately two years has been consumed to solve the geological difficulties since February 1996. This paper is to present and discuss the difficulties encountered and related construction techniques in the Pinglin tunnel in detail in order to upgrade the related techniques in the future.