Fiber reinforced tensile element

A longitudinal tensile element connection, comprising:

• a first bracing element;
• a second bracing element;
• a tensile element extending between said first bracing element and said second bracing element, with a first portion connected to said first bracing element, a second portion opposed to said first portion and connected to said second bracing element, a span portion between said first bracing element and said second bracing element, and a tensile axis of applied tensile load along said span portion;
• wherein said tensile element includes a preformed longitudinal rod that is comprised of reinforcement fibers in a matrix;
• wherein said longitudinal rod has an external rod surface, a longitudinal axis, a longitudinal length greater than a lateral width, and a generally constant cross section profile along said longitudinal axis;
• wherein said tensile element is comprised of said longitudinal rod with a configured surface formed therein;
• wherein said tensile element is connected to said first bracing element by an overlie engagement at said configured surface to restrain said tension load;
• wherein said configured surface comprises a longitudinal configured surface comprised of a multiplicity of said engagement surfaces that are longitudinally spaced over a longitudinal length;
• wherein the longitudinal length of said longitudinal configured surface is at least twice the cross sectional thickness of said longitudinal rod;
• and
• wherein at least one of said engagement surfaces are longitudinally spaced at least 100 millimeters from both said first portion and said second portion.

A method for producing a longitudinal tensile element, wherein said tensile element comprises:

• a first end portion, a second end portion longitudinally opposed to said first portion, and a span portion longitudinally between said first end portion and said second end portion;
• a tensile axis of applied tensile load along said span portion;
• an external tensile element surface;
• said method comprising the steps of forming an engagement surface in said tensile element, comprising:
• (a) initially producing a longitudinal rod as a pre-formed longitudinal element having a longitudinal axis with a longitudinal length greater than a lateral width, and a generally constant cross section profile along said longitudinal axis, wherein said tensile element is comprised of reinforcement fibers in a matrix, and wherein said matrix has an original state corresponding to the service temperature of said tensile element with a corresponding hardness;
• (b) heating a localized region of said tensile rod to temporarily achieve a softened state of reduced hardness and increased plasticity in comparison with said original state;
• (c) deforming said localized region, while said localized region is in said softened state, by applying pressure to said localized region to deform said external surface to plastically form a configured surface therein that includes a laterally outwardly projecting engagement surface;
• (d) cooling said localized region to return said localized region to said original state such that said engagement surface is maintained in said external surface, wherein said tensile element comprises said longitudinal rod with said engagement surface formed therein;
• and
• (e) connecting said tensile element to a bracing element by an overlie engagement with said engagement surface such that said connection restrains said tensile load.