An alternative technique to the demolition of a prestressed concrete box-girder bridge: A case study

•The physical insight into the behavior of the prestressed systems used in the bridge.•Experimental tests presented herein considers cutting-off the strands ‘in situ’ for the release of pillar loadings before commencing the recovery procedure.•These experimental tests are a breakthrough in non-destructive tests for ‘in situ’ recovery of prestressed structures.