Abstract With escalating traffic demands and environmental impacts, the mechanical performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams faces increasing challenges, necessitating safe and economical enhancement solutions. This study develops and validates a prefabricated prestressed variable truss system (PPVTS) for RC beam rehabilitation, supported by physics‐based predictive models. Four RC beam specimens underwent experimental four‐point bending tests to evaluate strengthening efficacy. Complementary finite element (FE) simulations incorporated precise material constitutive relationships, while theoretical derivations established a simplified mechanical equilibrium‐based model for flexural capacity. Results demonstrate exceptional agreement between experimental and numerical ultimate strength predictions (≤5% deviation). Sensitivity analysis confirms that increasing truss member thickness or prestressed strand diameter further enhances structural bending resistance. The theoretical model achieved <4% average error relative to experimental data. This work advances RC beam maintenance through composite strengthening and provides a robust theoretical framework for predicting flexural capacity in strengthened beams.
Wang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.