This study addresses the complexity and high cost associated with traditional temporary formwork in post-cast strips. An innovative use of fish-scale mesh as a permanent interface material is proposed. This material serves as both construction framework and a connector during the service phase. The study investigates the enhancement mechanism of fish-scale mesh on the interfacial bond between new and old concrete. A multi-parameter experimental framework combined with full-field strain measurement was employed. Three specimen types with varying hole heights and numbers were designed and fabricated. Macro-mechanical properties were evaluated through double-shear and splitting-tensile tests. The interfacial strain field was quantified with high precision and visual clarity using Digital Image-Correlation (DIC) technology. Results show that introducing fish-scale mesh alters the interface failure mode. In mesh-free specimens, failure occurs through brittle interfacial delamination. With fish-scale mesh, failure transitions to ductile rupture within the concrete body. The number of holes has the greatest effect on shear strength, followed by hole height. Among all configurations, the fish-scale mesh with a hole height of 6 mm and 30 holes demonstrated the best performance. The shear strength and splitting strength increase by about 32% and 13%, respectively, compared to mesh-free specimens. Based on experimental results and theoretical derivation, a shear-bearing capacity formula for the fish-scale mesh interface is proposed. This model innovatively incorporates the shear key area of the fish-scale mesh, along with weakening and disturbance coefficients derived from experimental data. The theoretical model was validated against experimental results, showing a good agreement and supporting the use of fish-scale mesh as a permanent interface material.

The water–energy–food nexus (WEF nexus) is central to sustainable development in arid regions. However, research on nexus evolution based on water consumed during food and energy production remains limited. In this study, the evolutionary patterns and influencing mechanisms of the WEF nexus in an arid region are investigated from a water footprint perspective, taking the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin in China as a case study. The results show that from 2010 to 2021, the crop water footprint in the study area exhibited distinct varietal differences, with the highest values for legumes and the lowest for tubers, and a spatial pattern characterized by higher values in the north and lower values in the south. The energy–water footprint underwent a structural shift from grey water dominance to blue water dominance in 2015. The coupling coordination degree of the WEF nexus gradually improved from moderate imbalance to mild imbalance. The core obstacle in the water subsystem shifted from water quantity shortage to an imbalance in water use structure, while that in the energy subsystem moved from supply-side constraints to consumption-side constraints. The food subsystem was constrained by rigid factors related to arable land and ecological conditions. Consequently, the core constraint of the WEF nexus has transitioned from independent bottlenecks within individual subsystems to cross-system coupling constraints. Regulating the water footprint on both the production and consumption sides is conducive to the sustainability of the WEF nexus. The findings of this study enrich the regional empirical evidence of the nexus theory and provide a reference for research and practice concerning the optimal allocation of regional resources.