This paper summarizes briefly available methods for analyses of soil-pile interaction, contains description of simple considerations of the kinematic and inertial effects on piles during earthquakes and applies these simple considerations to back analyses of eleven case histories of piled foundations under seismic loading in order to assess the accuracy and applicability to everyday routine designs. The simple considerations can be understood and used by practising engineers without need for specialists. Engineering beam theory and basic data are only required. The simple considerations can be used for indication of need of using detail analyses and for rough check of the results of sophisticated analyses.
