Compressive systems in foreland domains are characterised by fold and thrust belts linked to the presence of one or several ductile layers in depth acting as a decollement level. The main parameters controlling the structural evolution are: the presence of a decollement level, the amount and rate of shortening, and the amount of synkinematic sedimentation. The effect of these parameters has only been studied on a thrust belt scale. Furthermore, only the effect of synkinematic sedimentation on a simple system with one decollement level has been studied at the scale of a single structure. The aim of this study was to use analogue modelling to test the effect of shortening rate, velocity and the localization of sedimentation on a single system characterised by the presence of two prekinematic decollement levels. The main results showed variations in the structural vergence, folding geometry (symmetric or asymmetric), the evolution of the deformation (horizontal propagation versus vertical uplift), and the decoupling of the lower and upper brittle structures in relation with the main parameters (shortening rate and mass transfer). The results of the experiments were then compared to natural examples from the sub-Andean thrust belt. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.