Rivet Joint Design

Classification
Permanent joints are those joints which cannot be
disassembled without damaging the assembled parts.
Riveted and welded joints are permanent joints.
Separable joints are those joints which permit disassembly
and reassembly without damaging the assembled parts.
Bolted joints, cotter joints are the examples of separable
joints.
In the past, riveted joints were widely used for making
permanent joints in engineering applications like boilers,
pressure vessels, reservoirs, ships, trusses, frames and
cranes.
During the last few decades, rapid development of welding
technology has considerably reduced the sphere of
applications of riveted joints. Today, riveted joints have
almost been replaced by welded joints.
 Rivet Joint
The standard sizes of rivets are 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 33,36, 39,
42 and 48 mm.
The function of rivets in a joint is to make a connection that has strength
and tightness.
 Hot Riveting
(i) In hot riveting, the end of the rivet shank is heated to about
1000° to 1100°C till it becomes bright red and then the blows
are applied by a hammer. In cold riveting, there is no such
heating.
(ii) In hot riveting, when the rivet cools, the reduction in the
length of the shank is prevented by the heads resting against
the connected members. Therefore, the shank portion of the
rivet is subjected to tensile stress while the connected parts
are compressed.
(iii) Hot riveting applies to more than 10 mm dia
 The scope of riveted joints
In welding process, the parts are heated which deteriorate the metal
structure and tamper the heat treated parts. Riveted joints are used
where it is necessary to avoid the thermal after-effects of welding.
Riveted joints are used for metals with poor weldability.
Welded joints have poor resistance to vibrations and impact load. A
riveted joint is ideally suitable in such situations
Riveted joints are used where thin plates are to be assembled. They
are popular especially for aircraft structures where light structures
made of aluminium alloys are to be fastened.
When the riveted joint is dismantled, the connected components are
less damaged compared with those of welded joints.
The material cost of riveted joints is more than the corresponding
material cost of welded joints due to high consumption of metal.
Joining of Dissimilar Metals
The holes required for rivets weaken the working cross-section of
the plate and it is necessary to increase the plate thickness to
compensate for this loss. Therefore, the thickness of the plate or
part is more in case of riveted joint compared with corresponding
thickness of parts in case of welded joint. In addition, the weight of
rivet is more than the weight of weld. It is estimated that rivets
account for 3.5 to 4 per cent of the weight of the structure, while
the weight of weld material comes only to 1 to 1.5 per cent.
The labour cost of riveted joints is more than that of welded joints.
layout and drilling or punching of holes
The overall cost of riveted joint is more than that of welded joint due to
increased metal consumption and higher labour input.
Riveted assemblies have more weight than welded assemblies
Holes required to insert rivets cause stress concentration.
Welding assemblies are tight and leak proof.
Appearance of welded joint is better.
Machine Shapes such as circular pipes finds difficulty in riveting.
 TYPES OF RIVETED JOINTS: Lap
joint
A lap joint is that in which one plate overlaps the other
and the two plates are then riveted together.
Depending upon the number of rows, the lap joints are
further classified into single-riveted lap joint, double-
riveted lap joint or triple riveted lap joint. In double or
triple riveted lap joints, the rivets can be arranged in chain
pattern or zig-zag pattern.
A chain riveted joint is a joint in which the rivets are
arranged in such a way that rivets in different rows are
located opposite to each other.
A zig-zag riveted joint is a joint in which the rivets are
arranged in such a way that every rivet in a row is located in
the middle of the two rivets in the adjacent row.
 Butt Joint
A butt joint is that in which the main plates are kept in
alignment butting (i.e. touching) each other and a cover
plate (i.e. strap) is placed either on one side or on both
sides of the main plates. The cover plate is then riveted
together with the main plates. Butt joints are of the
following two types :
1. Single strap butt joint, and 2. Double strap butt joint.
In a single strap butt joint, the edges of the main plates
butt against each other and only one cover plate is placed
on one side of the main plates and then riveted together.
In a double strap butt joint, the edges of the main plates
butt against each other and two cover plates are placed on
both sides of the main plates and then riveted together.
Single riveted double strap butt joint.
(i) Pitch (p) The pitch of the rivet is defined as the
distance between the centre of one rivet to the centre of
the adjacent rivet in the same row. Usually,
p = 3d
where d is shank diameter of the rivet.
(ii) Margin (m) The margin is the distance between the
edge of the plate to the centreline of rivets in the nearest
row. Usually,
m = 1.5d
(iii) Transverse Pitch (pt) Transverse pitch, also called back
pitch or row pitch, is the distance between two
consecutive rows of rivets in the same plate. Usually,
pt
= 0.8p (for chain riveting)
= 0.6p (for zig-zag riveting)
(iv) Diagonal Pitch (pd) Diagonal pitch is the distance
between the centre of one rivet to the centre of the
adjacent rivet located in the adjacent row.
Lozenge joint (diamond joint)
This type of joint results in economical construction because a plate of
smaller width is required for this joint
TYPES OF FAILURE
(i) shear failure of the rivet;
(ii) tensile failure of the plate between two
consecutive rivets;
(iii) crushing failure of the plate;
(iv) shear failure of the plate in the margin area;
and
(v) tearing of the plate in the margin area.
For double-riveted joint, n=2
For triple-riveted joint, n=3
The strength of riveted joint is defined as the force that the joint can
withstand without causing failure.
EFFICIENCY OF JOINT
Example 1
A brake band attached to the hinge
by means of a riveted joint is shown
in Fig. Determine the size of the
rivets needed for the load of 10 kN.
Also, determine the width of the
band. The permissible stresses for
the band and rivets in tension,
shear and compression are 80, 60
and 120 N/mm2 respectively.
Assume, margin (m) = 1.5d
transverse pitch (pt) = p. Find the
pitch of the rivets.
Self Study
 Example 2
Two flat plates subjected to a tensile force
P are connected together by means of
double-strap butt joint as shown in Fig. The
force P is 250 kN and the width of the plate
w is 200 mm. The rivets and plates are
made of the same steel and the permissible
stresses in tension, compression and shear
are 70, 100 and 60 N/mm2 respectively.
Calculate (i) the diameter of the rivets; (ii)
the thickness of the plates; (iii) the
dimensions of the seam, viz., p, pt and m;
and (iv) the efficiency of the joint.
 Two tie-bar plates of a bridge structure, 250
mm wide and 20 mm thick, are to be
connected by a double-strap butt joint as
shown in Fig. The rivets and the plates are
made of steel. The permissible stresses in
tension, shear and compression are 80, 60 and
120 N/mm2 respectively. (i) Determine the
diameter of the rivet by using the following
empirical relationship, d = 6t where t is the
Example 3 plate thickness. (ii) Determine the number of
rivets by equating the strength of the plate
with the strength of the rivets. Assume that
shear resistance of one rivet in double shear is
1.875 times its resistance in single shear. (iii)
Show the arrangement of rivets. (iv)
Determine the efficiency of the joint. Assume
the following relationships: Margin (m) =
1.5d Transverse pitch (pt) = 2d, Thickness of
strap = 0.625t
ECCENTRICALLY LOADED
RIVETED JOINT
When the line of action of the load does not pass through the centroid
of the rivet system and thus all rivets are not equally loaded, then the
joint is said to be an eccentric loaded riveted joint
2. Introduce two forces P1 and P2 at the centre of gravity ‘G’ of
the rivet system. These forces are equal and opposite to P as
shown in Fig.
3. Assuming that all the rivets are of the same size, the effect of
P1 = P is to produce direct shear load on each rivet of equal
magnitude.
4. The effect of P2 = P is to produce a turning moment of
magnitude P × e which tends to rotate the joint about the centre
of gravity ‘G’ of the rivet system in a clockwise direction. Due to
the turning moment, secondary shear load on each rivet is
produced. In order to find the secondary shear load, the following
two assumptions are made :
(a) The secondary shear load is proportional to the radial distance
of the rivet under consideration from the centre of gravity of the
rivet system.
(b) The direction of secondary shear load is perpendicular to the
line joining the centre of the rivet to the centre of gravity of the
Example
The bracket plate is 25 mm thick. All rivets are to be of the same size. Load
on the bracket, P = 50 kN ; rivet spacing, C = 100 mm; load arm, e = 400
mm. Permissible shear stress is 65 MPa and crushing stress is 120 MPa.
Determine the size of the rivets to be used for the joint.
Allowable shear load=40 MPa