MICROSTRUCTURE EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL SOIL IN THE CONSOLIDATION PROCESS

The effect on the soil microstructure ( grain and pore) of non-clay on clay minerals and clay minerals isanalyzed quantitatively by studying the artificial soil' s microstructure in the consolidation process．The ESEM imageanalysis found that the non-clay minerals feldspar sample has the following characteristics including larger particles, face to face connection mostly with dense structure．After loaded large particles shattered into small particles, particlemean diameter decreases, increases, the particles directional change greatly and its distribution fractal dimensionshows a downward trend．However, clay mineral kaolin sample has smaller particles, which are connected with edgeto edge or edge to face with more pore．After loaded, agglomeration significantly causes the average granule diameterto increase, the circularity reduce, pore also gradually change to internal porosity of agglomeration unit, in the earlystage of loading ( p 1 00 kPa ), directional probability entropy and fractal of particle and pore are significantlydecreased, then tends to be stable．