ABSTRACT
An extensive research programme focusing on the one-dimensional compression behaviour of reconstituted and intact volcanic saprolites was carried out. A number of block samples, including saprolites originating from different parent rocks or taken at different sites within a same formation, were tested. The intrinsic behavior of reconstituted samples indicated that some of the soils had very slow convergence to a unique instrinsic normal compression line (ICL) and/or rather shallow slopes of compression paths. The slope of the ICL (λ) changed with the sampling location, even if most samples belonged to the same weathering grade and were taken at shallow depths. The relationship between λ and the amount of fines was established and the effects of structure were studied comparing the compression tests of intact specimens to their respective ICL. The extent to which these tests crossed the ICL was variable and in some cases the curves simply converged to the ICL, showing no effect of structure.
