Abstract:The prestressed steel strand reinforcement method has been used in bridge reinforcement in China for over 10 years. However, some of the earliest bridges reinforced by this method have experienced issues with insufficient load-bearing capacity. To analyze this phenomenon in depth, the key research focuses on the situation of mid-span deflection, cracks and strain of T-beams with the change of external loads by comparing the static load failure tests of two prestressed steel wire rope reinforced simple-supported T-beams that have been in operation for more than 10 years. The results indicate that the degradation of anti-bending load-bearing capacity is mainly due to the fact that the increased stiffness during reinforcement gradually weakens over time. Further analysis reveals that the main reason of the stiffness reduction is the stress relaxation of the prestressed steel strands. This conclusion provides the important references for the future application and improvement of prestressed steel strand reinforcement technology, which helps to improve the long-term safety and reliability of bridges.