The renovation solution for orthotropic steel bridge decks studied consists of bonding a second steel plate to the existing steel deck in order to reduce the stresses and increase the lifespan of the orthotropic bridge deck. A parametric study was carried out on the flexural behaviour of beams representing the renovation solution using experimental and analytical studies. The influence of different thicknesses, temperatures and spans was tested. The results obtained for the stress reduction factor show that it is independent of temperature. More efficient solutions can be achieved when minimizing the second steel plate thickness and maximizing the adhesive layer thickness reducing the weight and increasing the stiffness of the composite structure. Both elastic behaviour and yield load of the composite beams are dominated by the steel plate properties and therefore not affected significantly by temperature. However, the ultimate failure of the beams occurs by shear of the adhesive layer, the properties of which are affected by temperature. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.