Abstract: The tunnel within a slope is modeled by twodimensional finite element method.  The impact of different excavation locations on the slope stability was compared on the analytical model. The results indicate that, the stability of the slope has very minor impact when the excavation is performed at the top of the slope, but this has little practical applications. When the tunnel is excavated to the middle of the slope, an obvious deformation on the slope can be found. A significant disturbance on the slope soils even failures can be resulted when the excavation is approaching to the bottom of the slope. An optimized tunnel excavation zone can be determined throughout the numerical analysis and the result can provide guidance to the tunnel design and constructions.

Key words: Slopes, Tunnels: Excavation Locations, Deformation, Numerical Analysis