Abstract: The vertical bearing capacity of piles with spot footing in nature is a problem of undertaking the load action by piles in cooperation with soil. The value of the load directly undertaken by the soil depends upon the pile depth, pile spacing and physical and mechanical properties of the soil. Based on the data obtained from field tests, in this paper author analyses the bearing capacity of piles in cooperation with soil, proposes a simple practical approximate method of calculation, and discusses the problem of separation of soil from spot footing in their working process.