Pile Load Capacity Calculator

About this calculator

A deep foundation pile carries load through two mechanisms working together: end bearing, where the pile tip transfers force directly into a strong soil or rock layer, and skin friction, where the shaft's outer surface resists movement through the soil it passes through. The ultimate bearing capacity is the sum of these two contributions; dividing it by a factor of safety (typically 2 to 3, depending on soil investigation quality and local code) gives the allowable capacity that a structural engineer actually designs against.

This calculator takes a pile's dimensions along with end-bearing and skin-friction soil resistance values and returns both the ultimate and allowable load capacity. Geotechnical and structural engineers sizing deep foundations, foundation contractors reviewing a pile design before installation, and civil engineering students working through bearing-capacity problems use it to check that a proposed pile diameter and length can safely carry the structural loads above it before drilling or driving equipment ever gets mobilized.