Current codes often underestimate the capacity of existing bridges. The purpose of the tests presented here has been to assess the real behaviour and capacity of three types of bridges in order to be able to utilize them in a more efficient way.

The three studied bridges are: (1) Lautajokk – A one-span trough bridge tested in fatigue to check the shear capacity of the section between the slab and the girders; (2) Övik – A two span trough bridge strengthened with Near Surface Mounted Reinforcement (NSMR) of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) tested in bending, shear and torsion; and (3) Kiruna – A five-span prestressed three girder bridge tested to shear-bending failures in the girders and in the slab.

The failure capacities were considerably higher than what the code methods indicated. With calibrated and stepwise refined finite element models, it was possible to capture the real behaviour of the bridges. The experiences and methods may be useful in assessment and better use of other bridges.