Hybrid reinforced concrete (HRC) sections combining steel and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars provide a structural solution that balances durability, load-bearing capacity and energy dissipation. However, the absence of unified design provisions and the coexistence of distinct safety formats in European and American codes complicate the consistent assessment of ultimate limit state behavior under combined axial force and bending moment. In this study, a strain-based sectional model founded on compatibility and internal force equilibrium is implemented through a layer-by-layer numerical integration procedure to generate axial force–bending moment (N–M) interaction domains and moment–curvature (M–χ) relationships. The formulation is extended to a dimensionless framework in terms of normalized axial load, bending moment, total hybrid mechanical reinforcement ratio ωh and hybridization parameter R. The analysis is conducted within two regulatory formats: the European framework based on Eurocode 2 and CNR-DT 203 R1/2026 and the American framework based on ACI 318-25 and ACI 440.11-22. The results show that increasing ωh leads to a progressive expansion of the interaction domain and modifies the transition between FRP rupture-controlled and steel-yielding-controlled limit states. Increasing R shifts balanced conditions towards higher axial compression and bending levels. Differences between the two regulatory approaches are observed in terms of predicted curvature capacity and design resistance within the N–M domain, reflecting the distinct safety formats adopted. The proposed dimensionless parametric formulation enables consistent comparison of hybrid configurations and provides basis for interpreting failure-mode transitions and deformation capacity of HRC sections under combined axial and flexural actions.
Mairone et al. (Wed,) studied this question.