ABSTRACT
The collapsible behaviour of these soils was studied performing, in both oedometer and triaxial apparatuses, particular tests referred as ‘‘collapse tests’’ in the following. In these tests the specimens were initially subjected to an imposed suction value. After the equalization of the imposed suction was reached, the specimens were compressed either in multiple steps (oedometer tests) or with constant stress rate of 2.5 kPa/h (triaxial tests), until a prefixed stress level. At this point, the suction was reduced, from the initial value to 0 kPa, either gradually in multiple steps (oedometer and triaxial tests) or suddenly by flooding the specimens (in oedometer tests only).
