A commonly used method for determining the undrained shear strength of saturated clays is examined. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure, which is proposed for use with normally and lightly overconsolidated saturated clays of low to moderate sensitivity, are summarized. The properties of normally consolidated deposits change with time, primarily due to secondary compression effects. Tests of aged, normally consolidated deposits will behave as lightly overconsolidated materials and measured s sub u will be related to the quasi-preconsolidation pressure. This hypothesis serves as the basis for the model described for predicting the in situ undrained shear strength of a saturated clay.(Author)