Lateral Pile Analysis with Two Software: LPile and RSPile – From Theory to Practice

Welcome to “Lateral Pile Analysis – From Theory to Practice,” the fourth course (Module 3b) in The Geotechnicals’ series “Geotechnical Engineering – From Theory to Practice Series.

This course is the most comprehensive and practice-oriented training available on laterally loaded pile foundations, combining rigorous geotechnical theory, hands-on numerical modeling, and real-world design experience using two Software LPile and RSPile.

Laterally loaded piles are critical for the stability and performance of structures. Despite their importance, lateral pile behavior is often misunderstood or oversimplified in design practice. This course bridges that gap by walking you through the full design process—from understanding how piles resist lateral loads, to interpreting advanced soil–structure interaction models such as the p–y method, and finally applying these concepts in professional software environments.

Over the span of 18 chapters and more than 135 instructional videos and around 400 PPT slides, you’ll develop a complete understanding of:

• The mechanics of laterally loaded piles and the principles behind ultimate (ULS) and serviceability (SLS) performance.

• Classical analytical methods such as Brom’s method, closed-form elastic solutions, and the most accurate and advanced method p–y curve modeling.

• Modern nonlinear soil models for clays, sands, silts, loess, and rock — including Matlock (1970), Reese (1975), API RP 2A (2010), Rollins et al. (2005), and Liang et al. (2009) and more!!!

• The use of p–multipliers, pile group effects, scour, fixity depth, and slope/batter adjustments, all within a code-based framework consistent with CFEM (2023), CHBDC (CSA S6-25), and AASHTO (2024).

• Step-by-step demonstrations using RSPile and LPile, showing how the same geotechnical principles translate across software platforms through over 20 hands on examples.

A key feature of this course is its dual-software approach, giving you confidence to interpret results, troubleshoot models, and make informed engineering decisions regardless of the tool used. You will perform manual calculations, verify analytical models, and simulate real-world design cases, ensuring that your learning directly translates to professional application.

Whether you’re a geotechnical engineer aiming to elevate your design practice, a structural engineer seeking to understand soil–structure interaction, or a foundation specialist working on bridges, offshore structures — this course will give you the clarity, confidence, and technical depth to handle any lateral pile analysis challenge with precision.

Course Format

• Four Weeks of Weekly Learning

Each week, new content will be unlocked — including short video lectures, practical guides, and applied assignments. This structured pace helps you stay focused and build your understanding step by step.

• Continued Access After Week 4

After the initial 4-week learning period, you will still have access to all course videos for one year. After one year, you can rejoin any future course round at no additional cost by contacting us. Please note: during new rounds, certain video modules may be temporarily restricted while being updated or re-scheduled for other student cohorts.

• Video Access Duration

You can continue to access the course videos for a maximum of one year. After one year, you can rejoin any future course round at no additional cost by contacting us.

•  Certificate of Completion

You can request your certificate at any time by submitting your course assignment via email to:
info@thegeotechnicals.com
Once reviewed, your certificate will be issued via email within a few business days.

What Makes This Course Different

This isn’t just a “watch me model this in software” course.

You’ll start with the theory, build calculations by hand, then learn how to implement and interpret those results in LPile and RSPile — just like you would in a real design office.

Every lesson is anchored in realistic geotechnical conditions, and every assignment challenges you to apply what you’ve learned with professional accuracy.

Tools You'll Use

• LPile Software (Ensoft) and RSPile (Rocscience). However, this course will make you able to deal with any other deep foundation software as you will learn all the basics.

• Excel (optional for hand calculations)

Included With Your Enrollment

• Online access to the course videos for on year. After one year, you can rejoin any future course round at no additional cost by contacting us

• Realistic assignments with guided solutions

• Certificate of Completion

• Chat and book appointments with the course instructor

Access Policy

Your enrollment includes:

• 4 weeks of full learning access (content released weekly)

• 4 weeks access for the full content of the course.

• One year access to the course videos. After one year, you can rejoin any future course round at no additional cost by contacting us.

Who This is For

This course is designed for professionals and students who want to bridge the gap between geotechnical theory and modern design practice. It is ideal for:

• Geotechnical engineers aiming to advance their skills in the analysis and design of laterally loaded piles using modern tools and methods.

• Civil engineers working on bridge, building, offshore, or slope stabilization projects where lateral loading is a key design consideration.

• Structural engineers seeking to understand how pile–soil interaction affects structural design and performance.

• Geology or earth science graduates involved in geotechnical or foundation-related work who wish to strengthen their understanding of soil behavior and pile response.

• Site and field engineers looking to transition from investigation and construction roles into design and analysis positions.

• Consultants and contractors involved in foundation design who want to integrate software-based geotechnical modeling with code-compliant design workflows.

• Graduate students or early-career professionals preparing to work in the fields of geotechnical design, research, or consultancy.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the fundamental behavior of laterally loaded piles under static and cyclic conditions.

• Apply Brom’s method, p–y curve modeling, and closed-form analytical solutions for lateral pile analysis.

• Identify and select appropriate p–y models for different soil and rock types, including clays, sands, silts, loess, and weak to strong rock formations.

• Interpret and model soil–structure interaction using both RSPile and LPile software with confidence.

• Evaluate the effects of installation method, fixity depth, scour, slope, and pile batter on lateral performance.

• Incorporate group effects through the use of p-multipliers and understand code-based approaches from CFEM (2023), CHBDC (2025), and AASHTO (2024).

• Develop a comprehensive workflow that connects geotechnical analysis outputs with structural design requirements for safe and optimized pile foundations.