The objective of this paper was to investigate the physical significance of the Kawakita and Adams parameters derived from the cornpression of some granular solids. Four model granules of different expected deformation behaviour were prepared by varying the composition and porosity of the granules. The granules were nearly spherical and of similar size and showed a variation in mechanical properties in terms of their elasticity, plasticity, fracture strength and brittleness. Due to the size and shape of the granules, compression due to granule rearrangement was generally limited. The Kawakita a parameter approximated the maximal engineering strain of the granular solids and both the Kawakita a and b(-1) parameter reflected the plasticity of the granules. The Adams parameter To seemed to reflect the initial cracking of granules. Thus, the combined use of the Kawakita parameters a and b(-1) and the Adams parameter To may give a comprehensive representation of the cornpression behaviour of granular solids. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.