The incremental consolidation test determines the stress vs strain behavior of soil by incremental loading (stress controlled). From the data, one can determine the Cv, Cc, Cr and Cα, with the correct testing input variables. In addition, the Maximum Past Pressure can be determined to allow insight into overall soil behavior for a given project site. The consolidation test is performed for an engineer to determine soil parameters for a settlement analysis.

The swell (or collapse) test can be run in two ways. The first is to load a sample to a pre-determined load where the specimen is inundated with water and the displacement (up for swell, down for collapse) behavior is monitored. The second is to inundate the specimen and determine the load that prevents the specimen from swelling, the result is the swell pressure of the soil. Typical parameters obtained from this test, depending on the method run, are either the “free swell/collapse” or the “swell pressure” for this soil. The swell/collapse test is run for an engineer to determine if the soil at the site will be compatible with the project they are designing.