Governing Case. Usually the total stress analysis will provide a lower allowable bearing capacity for soft or very soft saturated plastic soils. This is because the foundation load will consolidate the plastic soil leading to an increase in the shear strength as time passes. For the long-term case (effec- tive stress analysis), the shear strength of the plastic soil is higher with a resulting higher bearing capacity. Usually the effective stress analysis will provide a lower allowable bearing capacity for very stiff or hard saturated plastic soils. This is because such plastic soils are usually heavily overconsolidat- ed and they tend to dilate (increase in volume) during undrained shear deformation. A portion of the undrained shear strength is due to the development of negative pore water pressures during shear deformation. As these negative pore water pressures dissipate with time, the shear strength of the heavily overconsolidated plastic soil decreases. For the long-term case (effective stress analysis), the shear strength will be lower resulting in a lower bearing capacity. Firm to stiff saturated plastic soils are intermediate conditions. The overconsolidation ratio (OCR) and the tendency of the saturated plastic soil to consolidate (gain shear strength) will deter- mine whether the short-term condition (total stress parameters) or the long-term condition (effective stress parameters) provides the lower bearing capacity.