A plate load test involves applying incremental loads to a bearing plate placed on the ground surface and measuring the resulting settlements. The test is used to estimate the settlement of a footing under working loads. A seating load is first applied and removed, then higher loads are placed and settlements are recorded until the rate of settlement decreases. Load-settlement curves are plotted from the results. The test gives the immediate settlement but not long-term consolidation settlement, so it is not very useful for predicting behavior in clay soils. The test also may not be representative if the soil is not homogeneous to a depth of 1.5-2 times the prototype footing width.