| The objective of this thesis is to design and test instrumented tendons suitable for integration into a structural information system being developed for Strategically Tuned Absolutely Resilient Structures (STARS). The tendons were developed to reinforce a cementitious composite structure in which the overall performance of the composite will be monitored. Two different size diameter fused tendons were fabricated by mounting a strain gage longitudinally, then using a splice to fuse.;Continuous tendons were initially studied to evaluate material properties and structural performance. A forensic analysis was conducted to establish the technical data. Estimates were made regarding the effective modulus based on the layup and material properties. The continuous tendons were tested in pure bending. Deflections were measured as the tubes were rotated under a constant load to verify structural asymmetry. Then, deflection was measured as a function of load to evaluate structural performance. The results from these tests compared favorably with those based on a theoretical solution that relied on the effective modulus derived from the forensic analysis.;When the deflection tests were repeated for the fused tendons, strain versus angle measurements followed a cosine distribution. An analysis was conducted to relate the strains on the outer surfaces of the tendons to those measured by the embedded gages. The experimental data was compared with finite element analysis results. A discussion of the overall results is followed by recommendations. |
