Lap splice
Joining two reinforcing bars by overlapping them a specified distance so force transfers through the surrounding concrete rather than through a connection.
What does lap splice mean?
Required lap length depends on bar size, grade, concrete strength, spacing, and cover, and it is longer than most people assume. Short laps are one of the most common reinforcement defects found in inspection because they are easy to eyeball wrong and hard to see once concrete is placed. Laps are also often required to be staggered rather than all occurring at the same section.
In practice
When an inspector pulls out a tape at a footing corner before the pour, lap length is usually what is being measured.