Abstract:In order to analyze the classical and nonclassical variables of loose sand in direct shear test,numerical investigation were carried out by DEM.Classical variables include stress,strain,velocity fields,and stresspath.Nonclassical variables include averaged pure rotation rate(APR),fabric and coordination number.In the study,the changes of variables and the relationships among them were analyzed.The results show that the nonclassical variables are microscopically essence of classical variables.