The present paper details bending tests on Rectangular Hollow Sections (R.H.S.) and square hollow sections (S.H.S.). The tests primarily aimed at providing information on ultimate load carrying capacities as well as rotations and curvatures in the inelastic range at plastic hinges locations. These bending tests were designed to investigate reserve capacities and plastic redistribution at the plastic-compact border (“class 1-2 border” in Eurocode 3) with the intention of characterizing the demand vs. availability equation in terms of rotational capacity. They consisted in series of 2.60 m to 4.8 m span tests, under various configurations: simply-supported with either 3-point or 4-point bending static systems, or propped cantilever configurations with mid-span and outer-loaded point loads. Several cross-section shapes and dimensions (both external dimensions and thickness) were varied. Geometric and material properties were carefully measured and stub column tests have been performed in order to characterize the level of available ductility of the sections in compression as well. The observed behavior and results of the bending tests show highly variable rotational capacities, and that in most cases the possibility to resort to plastic analysis is disputable for class 1 sections.