Numerical Parametric Assessment of Lap-Spliced Reinforced Concrete Beams with Steel, GFRP, and Hybrid Reinforcement

Abstract

This study presents a numerical parametric investigation into the flexural performance of reinforced concrete beams incorporating different reinforcement types and lap splice configurations, based on finite element modeling using ABAQUS and benchmarked against ACI 440 design provisions. Sixteen beam models were developed and analyzed under four-point bending to evaluate the influence of reinforcement type (steel, GFRP, and hybrid), splice length, and number of spliced bars on the global structural response. The results indicate that splice detailing plays a governing role in controlling failure mode and ductility. Beams without lap splices exhibited enhanced ductile behavior, whereas shorter splice lengths and higher splice ratios led to more brittle responses. The numerical model demonstrated good agreement with ACI-based predictions within acceptable engineering accuracy, supporting its use as a benchmarked tool for parametric evaluation of global flexural response. A key contribution of this study is the comprehensive parametric investigation examining the effects of concrete compressive strength, beam depth, and hybrid reinforcement ratio on flexural behavior. The parametric analysis demonstrated that increasing concrete compressive strength and beam depth resulted in higher flexural capacity and stiffness, whereas variations in the hybrid reinforcement ratio had a limited influence on the overall flexural response within the investigated range. Overall, the findings highlight the effectiveness of combining validated numerical modeling with code-based evaluation to provide rational design guidance for GFRP- and hybrid-reinforced concrete beams.