active washer with the configuration shown in fig1 is used in a pulse echo inspection application signal echoes from the far side of the washer may interfere with the interpretation of signal echoes originating beyond the washer in the structure under inspection this would not be a problem however if the active washer were used in a through transmission inspection application because stable interfering signals would be subtracted out i e each monitoring measurement would be the result of subtracting out the baseline signal so that only changes remain such as changes produced by propagating damage the configuration in fig1 also shows how the bolt 102 includes a shaft with threads 106 at the terminating end of the shaft opposite the head of the bolt 102 a nut 122 is screwed onto the threads 106 of the bolt 102 to tighten down the bolted joint a second washer 124 which may also be an active washer is located between the nut 122 and the structure 120 accordingly the bolted joint may resemble and function as conventional bolted joint except that at least one washer used for displacing the bearing load of the fastener is an active washer as shown in fig1 an active washer may include a probe contact 112 for the transducer 110 to which a data connection can be made using a wire 114 a wired connection to an active washer can be connected to a data control system to inspect and monitor the bolted joint.