Abstract: Stress paths tests of undisturbed cohesive soils in Hexi area of Nanjing were used to simulate the stress state in excavation.It was indicated that the secant modulus E5′0 obtained from the lateral extension tests was larger than E50 from the axial compression tests and the approximate relation between them was E5′0 =1.7 E50.The same parameters of effective shear strength were obtained form the axial compression and the lateral extension tests.The predicted values of surface settlement in numerical analysis were obviously improved with the application of test results,and there were good agreement between the measured results and the numerical results.