How is the required pile length determined?

The NAVFAC DM-7.02 capacity calculation — α-method adhesion in clay, K·σ'v·tanδ in sand, bearing-factor end bearing with the limiting-depth cap — is run at every embedment length across your range. The tool then reports the shortest length whose allowable capacity meets your target load.

Does the sweep handle layered profiles and limiting depth?

Yes — every trial length runs the full layered calculation, so layer transitions show up as slope changes in the capacity curve and the 20-diameter limiting-depth cap flattens the tip contribution where it applies.

Will a single-length check match the axial capacity tool?

Exactly. The sweep is the same validated capacity implementation evaluated repeatedly — there is one engine, so the curve at any length reproduces the standalone axial run.

NAVFAC DM-7.02 capacity swept over embedment length

Capacity versus embedment length, in one run.

The NAVFAC DM-7.02 axial capacity swept over embedment length — side, tip, downward and uplift curves, plus the required length for your target load, without a dozen manual re-runs.

Try it free

The routine question on a pile job is rarely 'what does an 18 m pile carry' — it is 'how long does the pile need to be'. Answering that by re-running a capacity program at trial lengths is slow and error-prone, so PileCalc sweeps the full NAVFAC DM-7.02 capacity calculation over embedment length and plots the result.

Side resistance, end bearing, downward and uplift capacity are each reported as curves against length, with layer transitions and the limiting-depth cap visible as they engage. Set a target load and the minimum embedment that satisfies it is read off directly.

Full capacity sweep

Allowable and ultimate downward and uplift capacity at every trial length, with layer transitions and the limiting-depth cap applied transparently.

Required-length readout

Enter the design load and the governing minimum embedment is reported — no interpolating between manual runs.

Side / tip breakdown

Side friction and end bearing plotted separately, so you see which mechanism is driving the length.

Same engine as the axial tool

The sweep reuses the validated NAVFAC axial engine — a spot check at any single length matches the axial tool exactly.

Validated against published benchmarks

Every figure below is produced by the engine on the cited published problem — closed-form solutions, design-manual tables, or independent codes — and reproduced by the test suite on every release.

NAVFAC DM-7.02 static capacity swept over embedment length

Quantity	PileCalc	Reference	Agreement
Every swept point vs a standalone axial run (4 lengths, sand: ultimate & allowable, down & uplift)Point-identity property test — same NAVFAC engine evaluated per length (consistency, not independent validation)	bit-identical	standalone axialCapacity	exact
Capacity monotonically increasing with embedded length (10–40 ft sand profile)NAVFAC DM-7.02 side + tip accumulation	monotonic	monotonic	exact

See the full per-tool validation report

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.

Benchmark

Quantity

PileCalc

Reference

Agreement

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

Capacity vs length: common questions

Go deeper

Run it on your next project

Free to start — no install, no dongle, every input explained and every result visible.

Launch the app