An attempt has been made to investigate the lime induced permeability changes in the permeability and engineering behavior of different lime column treated soil systems. Lime columns treated marine clay shows an increase in permeability up to a maximum value of 15-18 times that of untreated soil with time. The shear strength of the treated soil systems show an increment up to 8-10 that of untreated soil within a period of 30-45 days curing. In the case of lime injection systems, the permeability has been increased up to 10-15 times that of untreated soil, whereas the strength of the soil has been higher by 8-10 times that of untreated soil. Further, consolidation tests show a reduction in the compressibility up to 1/2-1/3 of original values. The test results revealed that both lime column and injection techniques could be used to improve the behaviour of underwater marine clay deposits. © 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.