[geezerjay]

> You can't really test a bridge outside of simulations.

Just to pick a few nits, actually bridges are indeed tested during and after construction. It used to be standard practice to do test runs with near limit loads to inaugurate bridges, consisting of getting a fleet of military vehicles or water tankers to cross the bridge while surveyors monitored the bridge's response.

Nowadays non-destructive testing techniques are favoured for a number of reasons, including the fact that sensor rigs can also be used throughout the structure's lifetime to help determine its fatigue life.