Salt content is a significant factor of the mechanical properties of saline soils. This study investigates saturated chloride saline silty sands that are artificially prepared

focusing on salt content-related influences on their compression and shear properties and the underlying micro-mechanisms

through conducting oedometer tests

triaxial tests

and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results reveal that at a salt content below saturation

the compression index increases linearly with it

while the compression modulus decreases gradually. Above the saturation threshold

this index is steady

and the modulus exhibits minor fluctuations. The rebound index remains independent of salt content. Under drained consolidation

stress-strain relationships show limited sensitivity to salt content

whereas volumetric strain increases with it. In undrained consolidation tests

both stress-strain relationships and pore pressure development are governed by the interplay of salt content and confining pressure. Microstructural analysis demonstrates that salt crystallization induces dual mechanisms of interparticle cementation and pore-filling

and the number of micropores increase with the increasing salt content. Our findings would help develop a constitutive model

practically useful for engineering construction in saline soil regions.