Rivets

By Author: Alex Cokes
Total Articles: 1
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A rivet is usually made out of metal or metal alloys and has a cylinder like shape with a head on one end. Rivets look like mushrooms with the head resembling a cap and the long cylinder body resembling the stalk of a mushroom. Of course not all rivets resemble mushrooms, as rivets come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. A rivet is installed by inserting it into a drilled or punched hole and bending the tail so that it is bucked or crushed to hold it in place. The crushed tail should almost blend into the material it is supposed to hold together and form a tight fit. The head or cap of the rivet is called the factory head, and the tail end is called the shop end because it is deformed during installation.

There are a multitude of uses for rivets. Rivets handle shear loads better than bolts, nails and screws. Shear loads are the amount of force that is applied to a structure when two objects that are applying stress are trying to slide past one another. Think of cars traveling in opposite directions of a bridge. Each car is applying stress or a ...
... load on the bridge. Depending on how many cars are traveling on a bridge a certain part of the bridge may have more stress than another part of the bridge. The beginning of a bridge, for example may be much more congested than the middle of the bridge where cars are traveling at a high speed. The beginning of a bridge will experience a higher shear load than the middle of the bridge. To ensure that a bridge or structure does not collapse entirely or in an area that is under heavy load structures must be able to handle shear loads. Cable wires in a bridge, foundations, pillars, and rivets that join parts of a bridge are what keep bridges and structures from collapsing. Yes tiny rivets, that may seem miniscule are what helps keep structures together and from falling apart. Some famous examples of construction projects where rivets were used are the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco which used steel rivets, and the famous ship Titanic. Many bridges, including railway bridges, and skyscrapers use rivets in their designs. Airplane parts and ship parts are assembled using rivets for added strength and durability.

There are many different kinds of rivets, and just like bolts and screws they come in many different sizes. Some of the kinds of rivets are solid, semi-tubular, blind, oscar and flush. Depending on the project or structure a certain kind of rivet may be better suited for use.