True triaxial compression tests were performed to assess the effects of the loading path on the compressive strength and deformability of Maha Sarakham salt. The salt specimens with nominal dimensions of 45×45×90 mm3 are compressed to failure using a true triaxial load frame. The minimum principal stress was kept constant between 0 and 10 MPa and the mean stress was kept constant between 8 and 85 MPa, while the axial stresses increased at constant rates of 0.1 MPa/s until failure occurred. The results indicated that under constant σm stress path the salt fails more easily than under constant σ3 path. The effects of σ2 on salt strength can be observed for both constant σ3 and constant σm stress paths. The multi-axial strength criteria that were derived from constant σ3 strength results may overestimate the stability of the salt around spherical and cylindrical cavities.
