Abstract
In two recent papers the authors have shown that : a) the behaviour of clays during one-dimensional compression is controlled in laboratory by a unique stress-strain-strain rate relationship; b) the oedometer curve obtained in laboratory at the end of primary consolidation underestimates in situ settlements. In this paper, the applicability of the stress-strain-strain rate model established in laboratory is examined in in situ conditions under three different test embankments. It is shown that the model applies well to in situ conditions at large strains ; on the contrary, at small strains, probably because of disturbance and stress paths, at a given strain and strain rate, the in situ effective stress is higher than the laboratory one.
