Keywords: limit state, compressibility, settlements, calculation model, soil testing, correlations.

The compressibility characteristics of different soil types can be described using several parameters. Even though soil does not behave as a completely elastic material, due to practical reasons they can be considered and modelled as springs or as an elastic space and due to the selected model we also assess the soil properties to use. Despite the above two models, the soil can also be modelled as a combined system with springs and dampers. This paper describes and discusses the methods used to assess and evaluate the compressibility properties of soils using in situ and laboratory tests. In order to make a reliable and useful modelling of the soil, an extensive geotechnical investigation of soil parameters is needed. In this study we treat several methods to evaluate these soils and to assess their properties. A comparison is done between soil compressibility properties defined and selected using different methods, and the soil compressibility properties are correlated with the other basic properties used to describe or to classify soils. Another aspect of the study is the evaluation of the relationship between the limit states that occur in the structure and the foundation types and systems used. Using some examples we attempt to see what is the effect of the soil compressibility properties on the calculation model and on the soil structure interaction. This is done for the static loading condition only.

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