Extensivein situtesting and undisturbed sampling were carried out near two steel piles to determine the long-term state of a clay in which these piles had been driven 7 years before. Results show that this material exhibits a rigidity that varies with the distance from the pile. The average rigidity in the zone of study is representative of a slightly destructured clay. The shear strength of this clay is, in most cases, equal to the shear strength of the intact material except in the zone located at depth greater than 3.5 m and within 30 cm of the pile wall, where lower shear strength values were consistently monitored. It is believed that reconsolidation after driving took place in this last case under relatively low stresses.Key words: piles, clays, ageing, destruction, reconsolidation, shear strength, rigidity, limit state.