While pursuing a numerical study on the behavior of the rockmass near a tunnel boundary at shallow depths, by continuum methods, it was realized that the yield mechanisms were not accurately captured using the input parameters obtained directly through the Hoek-Brown-GSI empirical system. It was evident that unless these mechanisms were accurately captured the behavior of the near-field rockmass cannot be correctly simulated. A question was then raised if PFC could be used to obtain a simple failure envelope/model for the rockmass in question and then use this model in the FLAC simulations - thus the object of this paper. The paper is presented in two parts as; (i) "numerical laboratory tests" involving biaxial compression and Brazilian tests on "synthetic rockmass samples" to determine the failure model and (ii) the subsequent application of the model in FLAC. The results are then presented and discussed, with the main conclusion that PFC can be used to determine the values of the input parameters for a continuum model.