Abstract: An axial thermal consolidation test apparatus suitable for saturated soils is developed. Using this apparatus, thermal loadings can be applied on both the inner and outer surfaces of a hollow cylindrical specimen separately. Thus, the specimen will be subjected to the effect of a gradient temperature along the diameter and also a lateral mechanical loading. This apparatus can be used for some special heating paths and mechanical loading paths. The consolidation of a saturated soil is accomplished, and the thermal loading on the inner and outer boundaries of the specimen is applied by steps alternately. The temperature range is 25℃~75℃, and the lateral pressures are 50, 100, 150, 200 kPa. The results show that the pore pressures and consolidation volumetric strains of the specimens induced by heating steps and various heating orders are very different even under the same state of temperature loading, which actually indicates the obvious influences of heating paths.