This study was conducted to investigate the consolidation characteristics of repeated increasing and decreasing load m marine clay. Consolidation test was performed by the whole repetition of increasing and decreasing load and the partial repetition of increasing and decreasing load. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The void ratio e was decreased according to the increase of preloading and the repe- tition of increasing and decreasing load. 2. In case of the partial repetition of increasing and decreasing load the compression index Cc was decreased with the increase of preloading and the repetition of increa- sing and decreasing load 3. The expansion rate was greatly increased with the whole repetition of increasing and decreasing load and it was inclined to be increased with the increase of preloading in case of the partial repetition. 4. The coefficient of volume compressibility were decreased according to the repetition of increasing and decreasing load 5. The secondary consolidation coefficient was decreased with the repetition of increasing and decreasing load. Especially in case of the partial repetition, the peaks of secon- dary consolidation curves could be found to move toward the vicinity of preloading.