The paper describes more important stages of introducing nonlinear soil model into design practice in Russia. Results of laboratory and in-situ verification studies are analyzed. Some examples of objects which geotechnical parts were designed using a physically and geometrically nonlinear soil model are given and discussed. Since the soil is a natural media, the values of its mechanical characteristics (parameters) should be determined from in-situ static tests, for example, using pressuremeter devices, that allows to ensure the necessary accuracy in about 25% of the design geotechnical output data. © 2023 Author(s).