A new triaxial apparatus was designed and manufactured. It is able to applysurcharge and combined vacuum-surcharge pressures on soil samples, and allows for monitoring ofexcess pore-water pressure, axial strain or settlement, and volumetric strain during the process ofconsolidation. Tests were performed using the apparatus on undisturbed soft clayey soil samples,which were collected from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, at average natural water content 72. 5%. The consolidation behavior of theclay has no rigorous difference, whether it is consolidatedunder the vacuum, surcharge, or combined vacuum-surcharge preloading. The study shows that somephysical properties of the soft clayey soils are changed and mechanical properties are improved tosupport excessive loads transferred to the soil foundation due to construction.
