The problem of elastic soil-pile interaction and its modelling using the co
ncept of a Winkler support are revisited. It is shown that dividing the ver
tical soil shear tractions and the corresponding settlements along the pile
generates depth-dependent Winkler springs that accurately describe the pil
e-soil interaction, contrary to the widespread belief that the Winkler repr
esentation is always approximate. A simplified theoretical model is then de
rived for analysing the response of an end-bearing cylindrical pile in a ho
mogeneous soil stratum. Explicit solutions are obtained for: (a) pile settl
ement; (b) depth-dependent Winkler modulus; (c) average (depth-independent)
Winkler modulus to match pile head settlement. Both infinitely long piles
and piles of finite length are examined. The approximate analytical solutio
n compares favourably,vith finite-element and boundary-element solutions. A
simple regression formula for the average Winkler modulus is developed.