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When shield tunnelling is constructed in complex geological conditions using a tunnel boring machine, the disc cutter in the cutterhead easily wears to the failure state, particularly when the ground conditions are heterogeneous. This paper summarises the failure modes of the disc cutter in heterogeneous ground conditions into three categories, based on the observed wear data from field: (1) uniform disc cutter wear, (2) non-uniform disc cutter wear, and (3) breakage of cutter ring. Subsequently, the stress state of a disc cutter in the heterogeneous ground was analysed and the effective factors were investigated. The relationships between friction energy during cutting, working status of the machine and the characteristics of the geological conditions were evaluated. Based on the stress analysis and friction energy, a prediction model was proposed. The proposed model was applied to two field case studies: pertaining to uniform and mixed-face ground conditions, for which the empirical coefficient k for energy transfer was also determined. The preliminary results from this research indicated that the proposed model was valid for both homogeneous and heterogeneous ground conditions. Further case studies provided by co-operators are expected to improve the effectiveness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]