Technical Note

Engineering Technical Note

ETN-C-3-13

Staggered Lap Splices

Introduction
Lapped splices are probably the most common means of joining two lengths of reinforcing
bars. Staggering the lap splices is sometimes
required by the designer, basically for two reasons: (1) to reduce reinforcement congestion
in locations where there is a relatively heavy
amount of reinforcement, such as in a lower
story column of a multi-story building, and (2)
to reduce a concentration of bond stresses at
the bar ends of the lap splices. A staggered
arrangement of the lap splices subsequently
reduces the localized stresses at each lap location, and lowers the possibility of concrete
cracking (splitting) or reduces the crack widths.
Figure 1 shows a photo of a staggered lap
splice arrangement that has been installed in
the top layer of a foundation mat. In Figure 1,
note that every other bar is shown lap spliced
in the same general location.

Review of Staggered Lap Splice

Options
Staggering of splices is the longitudinal spacing offset of the spliced bars. When considering the longitudinal stagger arrangement of lap
splices, there are three basic options, as shown
in Figure 2: (A) no stagger, (B) stagger with zero
gap, and (C) stagger with a (positive) gap.

Figure 2 Lap splice stagger options

Figure 1 Staggered lap splices

Stagger Requirements of the ACI 318

Code
Since 1963, the ACI 318 Code has acknowledged the benefits of staggering lap splices
by requiring staggered configurations of bars
and splices under various conditions. Table
1 (shown on page 2) summarizes the conditions under which ACI 318-11 [2011] requires
the staggering of lap splices and the stagger
distance. Depending on the condition, these
distances are expressed in terms of either bar
diameters, a defined length (in inches), or d.

As addressed previously, the ACI 318 Code

has a number of references to staggering lap
splices; these are presented in Table 1. However,
these references do not clearly define a standard
or minimum distance for the stagger to be effective or how the lap splice stagger distance should
be measured. These two pieces of information
are critical to making sure the reinforcing bars
are detailed and placed properly and as required.

Designers Responsibility
It is recommended that staggered splices are
only used when they are essential to the design
of a structure due to the complexity they add to
both the detailing and placement of the reinforcement. When they are required, it is the designers
responsibility to clearly define the staggered lap

Table 1 Stagger Requirements for Lap Splices, per ACI 318-11

Condition

Stagger Distance

Code Section

Individual bars within a bundle need to terminate at different points

with at least a 40 db stagger.

40 db minimum

Section 7.6.6.4

Individual bar splices within a bundle shall not overlap.

No length specified

Section 12.14.2.2

Mechanical or welded splices that do not meet the 1.25 yield strength
requirement.

24 in. minimum

Section 12.15.5.1

Mechanical or welded splices in tension tie members.

30 in. minimum

Section 12.15.6

Class A tension lap splices in columns where half or fewer of the bars
are spliced at any section.

d minimum

Section 12.17.2.2

End-bearing splices in columns.

No length specified

Section 12.17.4

Splices of principal tensile reinforcement in shells (with not more than

1/3 of the reinforcement spliced at any section).

d minimum

Section 19.4.12

splice requirements on the contract

drawings. In an effort to avoid ambiguity, graphical details (as illustrated
in Figure 3) are preferred over general
notes. The lap splice note in Figure 4
can be unclear, incomplete, and easily misinterpreted. For example, is the
note in Figure 4 saying:
1. S
 tagger all lap splices an undisclosed distance, with the lap splice
of a #6 bar being 17 in. minimum
and lap splice of a #8 bar being 37
in. minimum?
2. Is the stagger distance of the #6 bar
17 in. minimum, and stagger distance of the #8 bar 37 in. minimum?
The lap splice length is either not
given, or presented elsewhere.

Figure 3 Example of a typical staggered lap splice detail

With respect to Option 2, where is the stagger measured from? Is it from the end of the bars or centerline of
the spliced bars? The lap splice note in Figure 4 seemingly creates more confusion than providing clarity.
The designer also needs to clearly define how the lap
splice details apply to the structure in two ways.
1. Describe what elements need to be detailed with staggered lap splices - walls, slabs, beams, etc. This can
be done through a clarifying note next to the detail.
2. Describe how the lapped reinforcing bars within each
element are required to be staggered.

Staggered Lap Splices [ETN-C-3-13]

Figure 4 Example of a simple staggered lap splice note

a. Is the stagger condition only required for lap splicing bars in a single parallel layer? This should be
clearly communicated through a graphical detail
similar to Figure 3.

Staggered Lap Splice Measurement

A lap splice detail should clearly define the
stagger distance and how the stagger distance
should be measured.

Figure 5 Staggered lap splice detail for different layers in a

foundation mat or wall

Figure 6 Recommended measurement of the stagger distance

for staggered lap splices

The recommended manner to measure the

lap splice stagger distance is shown in Figure.
6. This figure illustrates the staggered lap
splice as it is measured from end-of-bar to
end-of-bar, rather than from the center of
the lap splice. This end-to-end dimension
cannot be misintrepreted by reinforcing bar
detailers during the creation of placing drawings or by ironworkers as the reinforcing
bars are placed in the field. Any given stagger distance will ensure the bar ends will not
line up.
Figure 7 illustrates the same example
shown in Figure 3, but this time incorporating this recommened manner of measurement that is shown in Figure 6. Note how
much clarity this measurement method adds
to the detail for reinforcing bar details and
ironworkers.

Stckl Research on Lap Splices

Although it is allowed, the staggered lap
splice layout shown in Figure 2(B) is not the
most ideal from a structural standpoint. Because the bar ends of successive terminated
bars are aligned, there is a strong tendency
for a splitting crack to develop in the concrete, coincident with the bar ends.

Figure 7 Example of a typical staggered lap splice detail using the

recommended measurement of the stagger distance

b. Do lap splices in different layers within a single element have to stagger with respect to each other?
(An example of this condition would be the top and
bottom layers in a foundation mat or inside and
outside faces in a wall) This situation should be
clearly communicated through a graphical detail
similar to Figure 5.

Stckl [1972] studied the effect that different staggered lap splice configurations
had on the width of flexural cracks at the
ends of lap splices. Three configurations
of lap splice stagger tested by Stckl are
shown in Figure 8. Note that the staggered
lap splice layout in Figure 2(B) was studied
by Stckl, as shown in Figure 8(a). Transverse reinforcement in the region of the lap
splices may provide confinement and reduce
the crack width, but providing a gap between
the ends of the staggered lap splices is more
desirable, as shown in Figure 8(b).

According to Stckl, the staggering of lap splices in

beams (providing a negative gap, as shown in Figure
8(c)) can reduce the width of flexural cracks at the ends
of the lap splices, provided that the stagger distance is
at least one-half of the lap splice length. For a Class A
lap splice, with the lap splice length equal to the tension
development length d, the minimum stagger would be
0.5 d. For a Class B lap splice, with the lap splice length

CRSI Technical Note

equal to 1.3 times the tension development length, the

minimum stagger would be 0.65 d. In either case, a
closer stagger where the staggered regions overlap (a
negative gap) provides the best structural behavior and
will be consistent with the recommendations from the
Stckl report.

Summary

(a) Superimposed effects can be adverse, resulting in

large crack width even when lap length exceeds tension
development length

The longitudinal staggering of lap splices is important

to avoid reinforcing bar congestion in the lap splice region. From a structural engineering perspective, providing a negative or positive gap is desirable to mitigate the
splitting crack tendency; refer to Figure 2(C) for definition
of gap. Providing no gap, as illustrated in Figure 2(B),
should be avoided because of the propensity for a wide
splitting crack to develop.
Detailing the stagger for lap splices is equally important to properly convey the design intent. A simple, yet
comprehensive staggered lap splice (typical) detail, similar to Figures 3 and 6, should be provided on the contract
drawings. General notes concerning lap splices can be
too ambiguous and subject to different interpretations.

References
(b) Avoiding superposition reduces crack width

American Concrete Institute ACI Committee

318 (2011), Building Code Requirements for Structural
Concrete (ACI 318-11) and Commentary (ACI 318R-11),
American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Michigan,
503 pp.
Stckl, S. (1972), bergreifungsste von zugbeanspruchten Bewehrungsstben (Lap Splicing of
Reinforcing Bars Subject to Tension), Beton- und
Stahlbetonbau, V. 10, Ernst & Sohn, Berlin, Germany,
pp. 229-234. (in German)

(c) Low superposition results in smallest crack width

Figure 8 Crack widths, as a function of splice locations
(after Stckl [1972])

Contributors: The principal authors of this publication are Robbie Hall, Greg Rohm, Michael
Ugalde, Anthony L. Felder, and Neal S. Anderson, with review by members of the CRSI Reinforcement Anchorages and Splices Committee.
Keywords: Contact, cracking, lap splice, reinforcing bar, stagger
Reference: Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute - CRSI [2013], Staggered Lap Splices, CRSI
Technical Note ETN-C-3-13, Schaumburg, Illinois, 4 pp.
Historical: None. New technical note
Note:This publication is intended for the use of professionals competent to evaluate the significance and limitations of its contents and who will accept responsibility for the application of the
material it contains. The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute reports the foregoing material as a
matter of information and, therefore, disclaims any and all responsibility for application of the stated
principles or for the accuracy of the sources other than material developed by the Institute.

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