This study investigates the behavior of piled raft foundations in sandy soil under vertical loading, with a focus on load distribution between the raft and piles. Laboratory physical model tests, analytical calculations, and finite element method (FEM) were conducted to examine the effect of pile number on foundation performance. The results show that increasing the number of piles leads to a more efficient load distribution between the raft and piles, with the load supported by the piles increasing to 20% of the total load as the number of piles increases. In the FEM model, it was observed that as the spacing between piles increases, the load carried by the piles decreases. Specifically, the pile contribution to the total load increases by 5.39% when the spacing between piles increases. Additionally, the load distribution along the depth of the piles is predominantly concentrated at the pile head, with the load decreasing along the length of the pile. These findings provide deeper insight into the interaction between piles and rafts in sandy soil conditions, emphasizing the importance of pile number, spacing, and load distribution in optimizing foundation performance. However, the study’s limitations include the need for further investigation into the effects of other soil types and loading conditions on foundation performance.