Piles Capacity
Geotechnical Design Tool
$199.99 · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
Mobile Design Tool for Cast-in-Place Bored Piles
Piles Capacity has a modern design which priorities speed and simplicity.
Up-to-date estimation engine documented in a brief and straight-forward online reference manual ( http://www.hetge.com/PCref )
Featuring a unique soil profile builder, Touch Soil™. Visually build required soil profile with the ease and convenience like never before.
Works with either Metric (mm, metres, ton, kN, kPa)or Imperial (inch, feet, psi, psf, kips) unit systems.
Graphs depth vs. friction, tip and allowable bearing capacities with optional correction of tip resistance with respect to underlying strata.
Prepares detailed report for bearing values of each layer with average effective stress, skin friction and tip resistance at top and bottom of layer.
Uses advanced soil parameters for more precise estimation such SPT, cohesion increment with depth, diameter reduction in rock as well as partial safety factors for skin friction and tip resistance.
more Rebuilt and tested with minor codebase updates for the latest iPhones and iPads, Piles Capacity still works perfectly even after 14 years since its initial release.
3.3 10/29/2025
3.2.2 release with some under the hood fixes on version 3.2, in which the user interface was slightly adjusted for recent iPhone and iPad devices without a home button, and our soil profile builder, Touch Soil™, has been improved further since it now reacts even much more precisely to touch gestures allowing more consistent navigation and easier modification of soil layers.
3.2.2 09/04/2022
3.2.1 release with some under the hood fixes on version 3.2, in which the user interface was updated for iPhone and iPad devices without a home button, and our soil profile builder, Touch Soil™, has been improved further since it now reacts much more precisely to touch gestures allowing more consistent navigation and easier modification of soil layers.
3.2.1 07/01/2019
User interface is updated for iPhone and iPad devices without a home button. Our soil profile builder, Touch Soil™, has been improved further. It now reacts much more precisely to touch gestures allowing more consistent navigation and easier modification of soil layers.
3.2 06/08/2019
3.1.3 release with third set of minor fixes on version 3.1, the first update to Piles Capacity v3, which included an updated iPad interface with LANDSCAPE support.
Do you find Capacity useful? If so, would you mind taking a moment to write us a nice review? There is a "Rate on..." link on Info section, which will take you to the review page on App Store. Just tap "Write a Review" there to bring up the rating screen. We'll greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
3.1.3 08/23/2017
3.1.2 release with second set of minor fixes on version 3.1, the first update to Piles Capacity v3, which included an updated iPad interface with LANDSCAPE support.
Do you find Capacity useful? If so, would you mind taking a moment to write us a nice review? There is a "Rate on..." link on Info section, which will take you to the review page on App Store. Just tap "Write a Review" there to bring up the rating screen. We'll greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
3.1.2 05/29/2017
3.1.1 release with minor fixes on version 3.1, the first minor update to Piles Capacity v3, which included an updated iPad interface with LANDSCAPE support.
Do you find Capacity useful? If so, would you mind taking a moment to write us a nice review? There is a "Rate on..." link on Info section, which will take you to the review page on App Store. Just tap "Write a Review" there to bring up the rating screen. We'll greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
3.1.1 08/03/2015
In this first minor update to Piles Capacity v2, we have improved iPad UI of the app, so that you can now use it in LANDSCAPE mode as well.
Also there are some fixes and under the hood improvements.
3.1 07/10/2015
We at hetGE, always believed that engineering software do not have to be over complicated, ugly and difficult to use.
So here is what we did with Piles Capacity Version 3 for bigger, deeper and better piles analysis.
Piles Capacity now runs natively on iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus. Each bigger screen natively showing deeper soil profile.
The Touch Soil, the best soil profile builder in our industry, is more flexible and powerful than ever.
For example you can now select any label to change the related parameter even when the numpad is visible. No need to press OK/NEXT/PREVIOUS to save changed parameters.
One last thing...
Piles Capacity is now a universal app running natively on the iPad.
The iPad interface does not have tabs like its iPhone sibling.
It is just a beautiful one screen app with capacity estimation, controls and depth vs capacity graph all side by side.
3.0 01/29/2015
Many minor bug fixes throughout the app.
Also you can now directly join our hetGE Newsletter within the app for Info screen... We have very interesting announcements coming soon for a breakthrough solution for on-site geotechnical testing.
2.1 12/09/2014
A brand new and modern interface!
Featuring an updated version of our touch-optimised soil profile builder «Touch Soil»,
which is now greatly enhanced with default full screen mode with +/- buttons to add and remove layers,
tappable GWT icon, which triggers GWT editing mode
and new swipe from left edge of the screen gesture to go back to Estimate page without collapsing the fullscreen.
Many visual usability and background code improvements and optimisations throughout the app.
This major version is a new and stronger foundation with New Features coming soon!
Please do reach us through hetge.com/contact for your feature requests or enquiries.
Also please leave a rating on the App Store if you like this update.
Thanks.
2.0 06/30/2014
A minor improvement in estimation engine in which the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) for Weak Rock/IGM type layers are now allowed to be less than 1 MPa by introducing decimal input to this parameter as well.
This was not allowed before because we simply assumed that integer values for UCS will suffice. Thanks to the feedback we've received from all the way from Australia (hats off to Pav Harutoonian from Citilink Piling), we've realised that we are missing the cases for very low strength rocks illustrated on the lower left side of the graph in Figure 2 of the Reference Manual of Piles Capacity.
Haven't check out the reference manual yet? Use the bookmark icon on the apps info screen, or simply type this link on your browser: hetge.com/pcref (it's a free download)
1.3.3 09/15/2013
A minor fix in estimation engine for more accurate correlation of Nq bearing parameter (NAVFAC, 1986) for tip resistance of granular layers.
1.3.2 02/02/2013
User interface updated with iPhone 5 screen size support.
1.3.1 11/02/2012
Partial safety factors for skin friction and tip resistance.
Removed 5 meter/20 feet layer thickness limit – but we highly recommend working with less thick layers as you all know most stratifications are not homogeneous.
Also increased the maximum depth of soil profile to 100 meters/4000 feet just in case you want to investigate capacity of huge shafts.
1.3 08/03/2012
Second Major Update with IGM-Rock Model and NAVFAC Phi-Nq correlation.
Piles Capacity can now estimate bearing values for Intermediate Geotechnical Materials (IGM) and rocks, using unconfined compressive strength parameter.
In addition to this new soil model, we have now implemented NAVFAC Method (1986) for the calculation of tip resistance in granular soils. NAVFAC method results in higher capacity for dense materials and lower for loose materials, which we believe is a better approach since many engineers will prefer safety in poor soil conditions or otherwise pushing the envelope where feasible.
Lastly, we have also redesigned and updated the Reference Manual, which includes all scientific formulations and assumptions as well as user tips for the app.
It is available online at http://hetge.com/PCref
1.2 05/23/2012
Switched US Units for Tip Resistance and Skin Friction values from lb to kip, and from psf to psi for Effective Stress values. Also fixed a minor misprint in the Estimation Report for US Units System.
Info section redesigned.
1.1.2 01/04/2012
Friction calculation for granular soils is refined by using the average effective stress rather than the effective stress at the bottom of the 0.25m/1feet thick sublayer of analysis.
Reported Bottom Tip Resistance Values are now on par with Tip Resistance Correction being ON or OFF.
Fixed repeating "of" two times at the end of fourth and the beginning of fifth line of the report.
1.1.1 10/10/2011
Improved estimation engine with reference manual available online at hetge.com/PCref
Custom Pile Diameters, direct user-input via Manual button
Added Imperial (US) Unit System Support for all aspects of the app from estimation to graphing and reporting
Additional soil parameters for more precise estimation:
*Standard Penetration Test value to better estimate the tip resistance of Granular layers
*Undrained Cohesion Increment Factor for Cohesive layers to easily model strength increase with depth
Weight of Pile is now included in calculations
Variable Factor of Safety toggled via the text button displaying estimated ultimate capacity
Default graph for Uncorrected Tip Resistance values, showing Discrete Capacity Change at layer boundaries and Optional Tip Resistance Correction via the on-graph switch, also added soil layer boundaries to the graph
Soil Profile Data Persistency, last entered soil profile is saved upon quitting the app, also Shake to Restore the data from last time user quit the app
Report now includes all ultimate bearing values at top and bottom of layers
Depth vs Capacity Graph, which is attached to email report is now 2 times higher resolution
Other minor fixes and several user interface polishes.
1.1 10/05/2011
Rebuilt and tested with minor codebase updates for the latest iPhones and iPads, Piles Capacity still works perfectly even after 14 years since its initial release.
more Version 3.3 10/29/2025
Data Not Collected The developer does not collect any data from this app.
