Rafting is an important process in the deformation of sea ice that occurs when two ice sheets collide. This process is widespread in the North Caspian Sea where multiple rafting produces thick sea-ice features which are a hazard to offshore operations. In this paper we present a series of experiments that were carried out in the Rock and Ice Physics Laboratory at the University College London to investigate the consolidation and strength of rafted sea ice. This is of interest because the degree of consolidation will affect the strength of a rafted structure and therefore may be of interest to engineers in the designs of offshore structures and vessels. During an experiment, layers of laboratory-grown sea ice were stacked on top of one another, with a thin layer of saline water between adjacent sheets, to simulate a section of rafted sea ice. The rate of consolidation was then monitored using a combination of temperature readings recorded in the ice and liquid layer and salinity measurements of the liquid layer. Cores were then taken at different stages of consolidation and sheared using a four-point asymmetrical bending rig, which measured the strength of the bond between the ice sheets. Experiments were repeated several times varying the ice thickness, liquid layer thickness, the number of ice layers in the stack, the salinity of the sea ice and liquid layer, and the ambient air temperature.