<p>This study investigates the skin friction in rock-socketed piles, focusing on the relationship between pile geometry, rock properties, and axial load capacity. A significant gap exists in the accurate prediction of skin friction, especially in regions with weak or fractured rock formations, where skin friction plays a dominant role due to limited end-bearing capacity. Traditional empirical approaches face challenges due to heterogeneity in subsurface conditions, leading to uncertainties in pile design. This research uses a novel experimental approach involving pseudo-rock materials to simulate real-world rock conditions. Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of pseudo-rock samples was varied to assess its effect on skin friction in socketed piles, with results showing a strong correlation between UCS and maximum skin friction. The experimental data were used to derive an empirical equation, f_max = 0.24 (q_u)^0.62 which accurately estimates skin friction based on UCS values. The study reveals that both pile diameter and socket length significantly affect load-bearing capacity, with longer sockets showing diminishing returns beyond a certain depth. Additionally, the effect of pile diameter on performance was observed, with larger piles demonstrating better resistance to settlement. The findings provide valuable insights into optimizing pile design, particularly in challenging subsurface environments, and contribute to enhancing the reliability of skin friction predictions for socketed piles. This research addresses a key gap in geotechnical engineering by offering empirical solutions to improve pile foundation design under complex geological conditions.</p>