[en] Mechanical properties of granulated rock salt are of interest in the underground disposal of nuclear waste because native salt from the excavations will be used as part of the backfill around the waste packages and in storage rooms, shafts and other openings. Backfill properties will be important in controlling room closure rates and local permeability. To obtain data on instantaneous and time-dependent compaction of crushed salt, we have done tests to measure the compaction as a function of time, temperature and pressure. Tests were done for a range of temperatures from 21 to 100/degree/C and pressures from 1.72 to 21 MPa, under quasistatic and creep conditions. All tests were done under hydrostatic loading, and also under nominally dry conditions, which means the only water present was the ∼0.2% water content of the salt. We found that: (1) Volumetric creep consolidation under hydrostatic stress proceeds at a rate of approximately 0.01t/sup /minus/1/, where t is the time in seconds. Creep consolidation is a function of log(t) and is slow. (2) Consolidation is not very temperature dependent in the range 21/degree/C to 100/degree/C. (3) Results can be fit reasonably well by a model developed to describe isostatic hot-pressing. 42 refs., 14 figs