Amoco International Oil Company and the government of Trinidad and Tobago have formed a consortium (FERTRIN) to construct and operate two ammonia plants. The site is located on the west coast of Trinidad some 32 km south of Port of Spain and is part of a major industrial development being planned by the government.Trinidad is located in one of the most seismically active regions of the Caribbean. Local building codes are still in the process of development, but local practice requires design specifications similar to the highest risk earthquake zones in California. As a result, piling under critical and heavy structures is often governed by the lateral rather than the vertical load requirements.This paper describes the choice, design, and performance of the piles tested for the FERTRIN ammonia plants. The design methods are evaluated and predictions of both lateral and vertical pile performance are compared with the load test results.Keywords: piles, lateral loads, axial loads, load tests, foundations, load transfer.