It is known in the joints community that relying solely on torque wrenches to ap- ply bolt preload results in varied and incredibly inaccurate bolt preloads; there is a large discrepancy between bolt theory and reality. The industry proposed solution to this issue is to use instrumented strain gauge bolts, which are capable of providing an accurate bolt preload measurement. However, the available instrumented strain gauge bolts are often priced at inaccessible prices for individuals and labs. This unfortunately prevents labs from acquiring proper instrumentation. This thesis is motivated by the need to provide high fidelity and repeatability in experimentation as well as providing accurate baseline data for computational mechanics of structures. The following topics have been examined as an attempt to provide the aforementioned traits.

1. An understanding of uncertainties in joints, the current methods of preload mea- surement, and some joint community research questions, which can be answered with accurate bolt preload readings.
2. The history of the strain gauge bolts used in the Tribomechadynamics lab and the design, manufacturing, and calibration processes of the final instrumented strain gauge bolt.
3. Instrumented strain gauge experimentation: Bolt dynamics under varied bolt preload and excitation amplitude.

While the current instrumented strain gauge bolt iteration succeed in accomplish- ing the desired goals for the joint community, future plans for this laboratory tool are exciting and promising for jointed structures, especially in the area of system health monitoring.