This study analyzed an application possibility of neural network to overcome problems of conventional settlement prediction. It is very important to estimate settlement in preloading method used to improve soft ground. At present, Hyperbolic method, Hoshino method and Asaoka method are used mostly in the prediction of settlement. But these methods can not predict settlement at the phase of design. On the other hand, neural networks are capable of predicting settlement through accumulated data in the phase of design and this method can be easily applied in practice. In this study Elman neural network is used to estimate future settlement.