By utilizing the two numerical codes RFPA3 D and FLAC3 D, the effect of heterogeneity on failure mode and failure mechanism of rock around deep underground excavations under tri-axial stress is analyzed. It is found that zonal disintegration is a large scale shear-slip failure developed in deep surrounding rock mass under tri-axial stress, which is accompanied by a large amount of tensile failure. The distance between fractures and the number of fractures have a close correlation with the rock mass heterogeneity. With an increase of the homogeneity index of the rock mass, the distances between fractures decrease and the number of fractures increases. For an intact hard rock mass with relative high homogeneity, only failure mode characterized as v-shaped notches can be formed due to the intersection of intensively developed shear bands. None of the zonal disintegration can be formed due to the fact that with increasing homogeneity, the failure mechanism of rock mass is gradually dominated by shear failure rather than tensile failure.
