Abstract: Soil structure is the key determinant of mechanical characteristics of soil. Owing to soil structure, it is obviously deficient to use the continuous mechanical theory in geotechnical materials. SHEN Zhu-jiang, who is an academician, thinks that soil structure is the key problem of soil mechanics for the 21 century. Because of the complexity of soil structure and a lack of testing methods, the quantitative index of soil structure has not been discovered. The granular material whose structural characters are comparatively simple is the subject of this article. The particle arrangement character is the embodiment of soil structure of granular material. CT and DDA are used to solve the problem of fabric measurement of granular material. Fabric information and its variety of granular material have been gained through CT triaxial test and numerical simulation in all kinds of load. It has laid a foundation for finding a reasonable fabric quantum, studying the relationship between fabric quantum and macroscopical mechanics response and discussing the deformation mechanism and mechanical characteristics of granular materials. This paper attaches more importance to introducing CT triaxial test results and the movement law of particle of granular material during the CT triaxial test.

Key words: granular material, fabric, CT, triaxial test, movement of particle