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Virginia Tech

Development of a Self-Sensing and Self-Healing Bolted Joint

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

A self-sensing and self-healing bolted joint has been developed. This concept encompasses the areas of health monitoring, joint dynamics and smart materials. In order to detect looseness in a joint the impedance health monitoring method is used. A new method of making impedance measurements for health monitoring that greatly reduces the equipment cost and equipment size was developed. This facilitates implementation of the impedance technique in real-life field applications. Several proof of concept experiments are presented and compared to the traditional method of making impedance measurements. Investigations of bolted joint dynamics were conducted. A literature review of bolted joints and their diagnostics is presented. The application of the transfer impedance method is compared to standard modal tests on various bolt tensions. An investigation of damping in bolted joints was also made comparing a bolted and monolithic beam. Practical issues in adaptive bolted joints are investigated. This includes issues on activating/heating SMA actuators, connecting the actuators to the power source, size selection of SMA actuators and insulations. These issues are examined both experimentally and theoretically.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Mechanical Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2002

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Peairs, Daniel M.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Inman, Daniel J.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Park, Gyuhae
  • Leo, Donald J.

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-07082002-224733
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33925

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Peairs, Daniel M.. Development of a Self-Sensing and Self-Healing Bolted Joint. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/33925