In this lecture the interpretations of fully instrumented tests embankments and their role in the development of appropriate ground improvement techniques for highways, motorways and airfields on soft clay deposits is illustrated through well documented case studies in Bangkok, Thailand; Muar Flat Site in Kuala Lumpur and in Southeast Queensland. For the Bangkok Plain and with sand backfills the performance of embankments with different schemes of vertical drains was evaluated over a period of 25 years. Aspects such as recharging effects due to the drains, inadequate measures in maintaining vacuum during vacuum applications and possible hydraulic connections with large diameter drains are discussed. For the Muar test embankments, the role of fill strength in residual soil embankment and the field deformation analysis in separating consolidation settlement from immediate settlement and creep settlements is presented. Novel interpretations of settlement from pore pressure dissipations, secondary settlement from field measurements and decay of lateral deformation rate with time were also made.