<p>This study examined the development and location of the neutral plane for floating piles. Floating piles with square, rectangular, and circular cross-sections of equal area were placed in a physical model of loose gypseous soil subjected to wetting and incremental surcharge loading. Strain gauges were installed along the embedded pile length at regular intervals to measure axial strain, and displacement sensors monitored soil and pile settlement. Drag force distributions were calculated from the strain profiles, and the neutral plane location was identified based on the change in shaft resistance. Results indicated that the relative settlement between soil and piles, caused by soil collapse during saturation and surface loading, controlled the magnitude of skin friction and the position of the neutral plane. The location of the neutral plane was influenced by collapse–induced settlement and the magnitude of the applied surcharge load. Square piles exhibited more stable transitions between positive and negative shaft resistance. The neutral plane for square piles remained within 0.67L to 0.86L of the embedded length. Circular piles showed fluctuations in drag pressure at high loads, whereas rectangular piles experienced lower drag pressure due to less efficient mobilization of shaft interaction.</p>