Comparative study of factors influencing tension lap splices in reinforced concrete beams

The practice of splicing reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete structures to manage insufficient bar length is a common approach, which is mainly due to transportation limitations on bar length. The splicing of reinforcing bars side by side offers a simple and economical solution to the problem of continuity. This paper examines the influence of different structural parameters such as concrete cover, lap splice length, shear links confinement and concrete strength on the lap splices based on an extensive experimental database of laps and anchorage. The current study shows that increasing the lap splices beyond 50∅ has no additional benefit for increasing its strength. The results also show that relative to the measured stress, specimens with larger concrete side covers shows higher splice stress compared to the samples with smaller concrete covers.