The paper presents an assessment of the suitability of a laboratory vane apparatus, a cone penetrometer as well as a shear vane tester and a pocket penetrometer for determination of the parameters of the undrained shear strength of fly ash from the Power Plant “Skawina”. The suitability of the cone penetrometer and the laboratory vane apparatus for the determination of the undrained shear strength of the fly ash has been shown. On the bases of the obtained test results, , drained and undrained shear strengths of the subsoil made of the fly ash under the square pad foundation were calculated according to Eurocode 7. The calculations of the ultimate resistance of the drained subsoil showed that it was several times bigger than its value in undrained conditions. This confirms the need for the proper determination of the angle of internal friction and cohesion as well as the undrained shear strength of fly ashes.