Abstract The behavior of soil-pile systems subjected to dynamic loads in dry sand was investigated using experimental tests. The focus of this study was to quantify the simplified dynamic p-y curve for pseudo-static analysis from model tests under various loading frequencies. A framework for determining the p-y curve on the basis of 1 g shaking table tests was introduced. Based on the results of the model tests, the dynamic p-y curve is highly dependent on the relationships between the natural frequency of the soil-pile system and the loading frequency, the acceleration amplitude and the relative density of soil. The simplified dynamic p-y curve is a hyperbolic function. The initial slope and the ultimate soil resistance were proposed as functions of the properties of the pile and soil. The proposed p-y curves were determined to be more appropriate than the existing p-y curves for representing the soil-pile interaction for a single pile under dynamic loads in dry sand.