The world's ever growing demand for oil and gas with the consequent increase in the production costs together with the Brazilian government's policy towards self-sufficiency are challenges that require innovative technological solutions and as a result more thorough geotechnical studies are also needed.

In order to install offshore platforms for the exploration of hydrocarbonates in offshore fields in water depths up to 170 m, the authors have promoted extensive campaigns of soil investigation where piezocone tests and laboratory tests where performed.

Due to the occur2rence of calcareous soils, the authors established for the first time in Brazil, a comprehensive geotechnical study where they applied laboratory compressibility performed on crushable calcareous sands as a basis for their study to better define design parameters for foundation design comparing the results obtained with others in literature.