Patent ID: 8881521

Claim:
A method of reducing an initial stress on a cable, the method comprising: stretching the cable to a first length in response to a force generated by a load to thereby define the initial stress on the cable, wherein the cable has a central longitudinal axis and includes: a plurality of wires each twisted around the central longitudinal axis and formed from a shape memory alloy transitionable in response to an activation signal between a first temperature-dependent state wherein each of the plurality of wires has a first temperature-dependent length, and a second temperature-dependent state wherein each of the plurality of wires has a second temperature-dependent length that is less than the first temperature-dependent length; after stretching, activating the shape memory alloy by exposing the shape memory alloy to the activation signal such that the shape memory alloy transitions from the first temperature-dependent state to the second temperature-dependent state; and concurrent to activating, elongating the cable to a second length that is greater than the first length in response to the force to define a second stress on the cable that is less than the initial stress and thereby reduce the initial stress on the cable.