PileCalc
SHAFT alternative

Looking for a SHAFT alternative? Same FHWA methods, plus lateral.

PileCalc is a browser-native SHAFT alternative: FHWA-IF-99-025 drilled-shaft capacity with rock sockets and belled bases, plus the p-y lateral analysis that otherwise needs a separate LPILE license. Free to try, on any OS.

Try it free See the full SHAFT comparison

No install, any OS

SHAFT is Windows-only. PileCalc runs in any browser on macOS, Windows, Linux or a Chromebook — nothing to download, no dongle, no license server.

Transparent, lower price

≈ $950 perpetual + $143/yr maintenance. PileCalc is free to start and $39.99/month for Pro — priced in the open, with no four-figure quote-by-email license.

Validated and visible

Checked term-by-term against LPILE and RSPile, with the numbers published — and every input, assumption and curve shown inline so you can audit the result.

What you keep when you switch from SHAFT

  • The same FHWA-IF-99-025 α / β / rock-socket methods, in your browser
  • Lateral response of the same shaft in the same tool — SHAFT needs a separate LPILE license
  • Belled-base uplift, exclusion zones and every intermediate value visible
  • Free tier and $39.99/month, on any OS

The numbers, published

PileCalc's engine is checked term-by-term against the reference codes. A representative sample of the benchmarks — every intermediate value is visible in the app so you can reproduce them yourself.

Free-head pile (EI 1.43×10⁶, D 1 m, L 24.4 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Max moment
792.2 kN·m
792.1 kN·m (exact)
within 0.1%
Fixed-head pile (EI 1.43×10⁶, D 1 m, L 24.4 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Head moment
−581.1 kN·m
−581.0 kN·m (exact)
within 0.1%
Cantilever pile (EI 320, D 0.1 m, L 5.25 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Head deflection
8.75 mm
8.750 mm (exact)
within 0.1%
Cantilever pile (EI 320, D 0.1 m, L 5.25 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Max moment
2.335 kN·m
2.334 kN·m (exact)
within 0.1%
Circular pile, API sand (D 0.5 m, L 10 m, H 100 kN)RSPile verification manual
Deflection & moment profile
RSPile 2018 problems #1/#2/#8/#15
chart-reading tolerance
within 1–3%
Steel pile, multi-layer slope stabilization (17 m)RSPile / TZPile / LPile
Lateral resistance
607 kN
582 kN
within ~4%
Read how we validate — and why against two independent codes

SHAFT alternative: common questions

The detailed, capability-by-capability SHAFT comparison

Open your SHAFT model in PileCalc

Re-run it in the browser in under a minute — free, no install — and compare the numbers side by side.

Launch the app