This paper reviews the soil-arching effect in pile-supported embankments, a critical mechanism for load transfer and settlement reduction. The review covers the historical development of pile-supported embankments, theoretical studies on soil arching, load distribution, and soil deformation, and the influence of various factors such as pile shape, embankment fill parameters, subsoil characteristics, and geosynthetic reinforcement. The load distribution is analyzed using trapdoor models, hemispherical models, and concentric-arching models, with a focus on the efficacy of pile support and the stress reduction ratio. The paper also discusses the characteristics of stress and settlement in pile-supported embankments, including the evolution of soil arching and the critical height where the settlement of piles and subsoil becomes equal. The influence of piles, embankment fill, subsoil, and geosynthetic reinforcement on soil arching is explored, highlighting the importance of pile arrangement, fill cohesion, subsoil properties, and geogrid stiffness. The paper concludes with a summary of key findings and suggests future research directions to improve the design and maintenance of civil infrastructure.This paper reviews the soil-arching effect in pile-supported embankments, a critical mechanism for load transfer and settlement reduction. The review covers the historical development of pile-supported embankments, theoretical studies on soil arching, load distribution, and soil deformation, and the influence of various factors such as pile shape, embankment fill parameters, subsoil characteristics, and geosynthetic reinforcement. The load distribution is analyzed using trapdoor models, hemispherical models, and concentric-arching models, with a focus on the efficacy of pile support and the stress reduction ratio. The paper also discusses the characteristics of stress and settlement in pile-supported embankments, including the evolution of soil arching and the critical height where the settlement of piles and subsoil becomes equal. The influence of piles, embankment fill, subsoil, and geosynthetic reinforcement on soil arching is explored, highlighting the importance of pile arrangement, fill cohesion, subsoil properties, and geogrid stiffness. The paper concludes with a summary of key findings and suggests future research directions to improve the design and maintenance of civil infrastructure.