Patent ID: 7913568

Claim:
A method of dimensioning and producing stiffened structural components having at least one shell component and at least one stiffening component, the method comprising: dimensioning the at least one shell component and the at least one stiffening component based upon at least one of (1) a predetermined safety factor and (2) a structural inspection interval in which a predetermined maximum crack progression in the shell component is not to be exceeded and the strength of the structural component does not fall below a predetermined minimum residual strength, the dimensioning also based upon the assumption of intactness of the at least one stiffening component; and securing the at least one stiffening component to the shell component to form the stiffened structural component, the at least one stiffening component having a long dimension along the at least one shell component and at least one elongated structural sensor positioned mid-height on the at least one stiffening component, the elongated structural condition sensor extending substantially along the long dimension of the stiffening component and detecting intactness of the stiffened structural components.