This paper firstly describes the development history and the present situation of soil mechanics

them shows features and the complicacy of geotechnical engineering and soil mechanics. All this may lead to the conclusion that the problems concerning soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering cannot be perfectly solved only with the present soil mechanics theory and numerical method. The centrifugal modelling test

owing to its replication property of in-situ stress level of structures

can be used to predict the working condition of geotechnical engineering

or to verify some principles of soil mechanics. For this reason

this testing method is getting popular. However the centrifugal modelling test just play a complementary role rather than a repellent role to the present research methods.