Fig. 10. Typical cyclic loading test results with different load increments at con- fining pressure of 150 kPa The data from the tests at confining pressures of 100, 200 and 300KPa were used for the training of the neural network. The trained network was validated using the data from the test at the confining pressure of 250KPa. The input and ontput parameters used for training of the network are presented in Tab. 3. In the table p’ is net mean stress, q is deviator stress, c, is volumetric strain and ¢) is axial strain. The indices t, t-1, t-2 and t+1 represent the state of stress or strain at current (increment) step, previous step, tavo steps before and the next step respectively. Data from the two previous load increment steps were provided to the network to help learn the loading history of the soil during transition from loading to unloading and vice versa. The relative values of the stress and strain variables in increments t-2, t-1 and t indicate whether the soil is on a loading path, unloacling path or in transition from loading to unloading or vice versa. The neural network used comprised two hidden layers with eight