The properties and method of preloading a 11 m erratic deposit of soft clays and loose sands, are described. Under the preload embankment of 12 m the deposit compressed an average of 7%. Settlement developed rapidly and excess porepressure dissipated within few days, never exceeding 2.1 m of water head. After preload removal borings were performed to compare results with those obtained on the untreated site. This comparison showed that the compressibility and strength of both the clayey and sandy components improved substantially and that the subsurface became more homogeneous. The projected structure built on the improved ground has performed satisfactorily
