This study presents a three-dimensional finite element evaluation into the time-dependent behaviour of combined piled raft foundations (CPRFs) in saturated medium-stiff cohesive soils. The analysis examined excess pore water pressure ( \({P}_{excess}\) ) generation and dissipation, consolidation settlements, and the load-sharing mechanism between piles and raft. Although CPRFs are increasingly used in high-rise foundations, their coupled consolidation response under staged construction remains underexplored. Numerical simulations were carried out for an unpiled raft (UR) and CPRF subjected to staged loading over durations of 90, 120, 150, and 180 days. Results highlight that construction duration strongly influences \({P}_{excess}\) and settlement. A shorter duration of 90 days produced nearly 60% higher \({P}_{excess}\) compared to 180 days, whereas staged loading over 180 days enabled 30–40% dissipation during construction. Inclusion of piles reduced \({P}_{excess}\) markedly, accelerated dissipation, and lowered long-term settlements by 83%. Parametric variations showed that reducing pile spacing from S/d = 5 to S/d = 2 increased initial group stiffness, enhancing load sharing and reducing early settlement, but also raised \({P}_{excess}\) by around 30% due to stress concentration. Load-sharing analysis revealed that piles initially carried 70–75% of the applied load, decreasing to 50–55% after consolidation, while the raft share rose from 25–30% to 45–50%. Settlement-time curves confirmed that CPRFs achieved primary consolidation within 400–600 days, whereas the UR system required 800–1000 days.
