The moment-carrying capacity of short pier foundation in loose and dense cohesionless soil was studied by Laman et al. (1999). The results of non-linear three-dimensional finite element analysis are compared with data from centrifuge tests modeling the behavior of 1 meter diameter prototype piers. Numerical analyses, incorporating parameters derived from triaxial compression test, yield results which closely matched a range of centrifuge model test when the value of the earth pressure