Abstract: Studies have shown that the electrical resistivity of soil can well represent its geotechnical properties,such as characteristics of soil contamination and ground liquefaction potential.This paper reviews the theory of soil electrical resistivity and measurement of soil electrical resistivity both in the lab and in the field.With summarizing literature works,the application of soil resistivity method for the ground improvement engineering is introduced,particularly in the evaluation of cement-treated soil column,ground improvement effect,potential of ground liquefaction,properties of compacted soil and ground contamination.Finally,the problems and the application prospects of the electrical resistivity study are discussed.