Patent ID: 8167363

Claim:
A method of prestressing a vehicle structural member, the method comprising: forming a support structure; applying a first preformed reinforcing component to the support structure at a first location, the first preformed reinforcing component comprising a size changing material that increases in dimension upon application of a stimulus; applying a second preformed reinforcing component to the support structure at a second location, the second preformed reinforcing component comprising a size changing material that decreases in dimension upon application of the stimulus; transforming the first preformed reinforcing component from a first configuration where the size changing material of the first preformed reinforcing component has a first dimension to a second configuration where the size changing material of the first preformed reinforcing component has an increased second dimension; transforming the second preformed reinforcing component from a first configuration where the size changing material of the second preformed reinforcing component has a first dimension to a second configuration where the size changing material of the second preformed reinforcing component has a decreased second dimension; the first and second preformed reinforcing components being applied to the support structure such that transforming the first and second preformed reinforcing components from their first configurations to their second configurations increases stress in the support structure.