This document discusses pile foundations and methods of installing pile foundations. It defines pile foundations as slender columns made of materials like concrete or steel that support structures by transferring loads into the ground through end bearing or skin friction. It describes different types of pile foundations including sheet piles, load bearing piles, end bearing piles, friction piles, and different materials used like timber, steel, pre-cast concrete, and cast-in-place concrete. It also summarizes methods of pile installation including rotary boring, continuous flight auger boring, tripod boring, and driving piles using drop hammers, single-acting hammers, double-acting hammers, diesel hammers, and vibratory hammers.