This study investigates the impact of various interface construction techniques on the bending strength of longitudinal wet joints in bridge superstructures through experimentation. A functional relationship between measured bending strength and theoretical shear strength values is established by finite element simulation. Since shear testing exhibits significant variability, current specifications lack a standardized testing methodology. The key innovation of this study is the development of a functional relationship between experimentally measured flexural strength and theoretical shear strength values, achieved through finite element simulations. Three types of concrete wet joint specimens are formed using different interface construction methods: artificial chiseling, high‐pressure water washing, and industrial film coating. Tests are conducted to determine the bending strength of these specimens with varying concrete strength grades. A two‐dimensional meso‐concrete finite element model of the interface between new and old concrete is created, material parameters in the meso‐concrete model are determined based on measured bending strength data of the above bending test, and the values for shear strength of concrete specimens are calculated through the numerical simulation of four‐point shear concrete beams. The study reveals that the bonding force of the interface depends on structural treatment depth, specific surface area, and the uniformity of concave and convex features. Different interface treatment methods result in significantly varying bending strengths, with high‐pressure water washing exhibiting the highest, followed by industrial film coating, and artificial chiseling the lowest. The bending strength pattern is consistent among concrete specimens with different strength grades formed by manual and mechanical vibration. Mechanical vibration yields higher bending strength compared to manual vibration for the same concrete strength grade and interface construction technique. The results indicate that power‐function fitting has a good correlation coefficient. The study creatively proposes that shear strength can be effectively estimated based on measured bending strength, offering valuable insights for engineering applications.
Peng et al. (Thu,) studied this question.