Worldwide, the design life of bridges can be extended by delivering repair and strengthening projects while meeting the challenge of keeping the bridge in service. Although this is a common characteristic of such international projects, there are significant differences between countries with regard to types of bridges and maintenance approaches. VSL International is active in the field of bridge repairs and strengthening in a worldwide capacity and adopts a variety of solutions to accommodate these to local conditions. This article will describe lessons learnt from a variety of projects which deal with the repair and strengthening of steel bridges, particularly cable-supported structures. Several international examples are described, in Mexico, Canada, the USA and France, where innovative solutions have been applied. These innovations focus on the unique combination of specialised temporary works, method of construction and cable technology.