AESP 101 – Introduction to Aerospace Engineering

Zafer Gürdal

Lecture 17: Joints and Rivets

LECTURE CONTENTS: STRUCTURES – III

• Joints and Rivets

Joints: Can Be Source of Serious Problems

• 114 people killed, 200 injured

Joints: Can Be Source of Serious Problems
JOINTS AND ATTACHMENTS ARE EVERYWHERE
Riveted joints
 EXAMPLE: RIVETS
Boeing Dreamlifter (Modified Boeing 747, the rivets
monster)
JOINTS AND ATTACHMENTS
Bonded joint
JOINTS AND ATTACHMENTS Bolted joints
JOINTS AND ATTACHMENTS
JOINTS AND ATTACHMENTS
Joints: Why do we have them?

• Needed because of limited part size

• Need for transportability
• Enable the possibility to use different materials in different locations
• Enable the use of different sheet/skin thicknesses in different locations
• Enable production of complex shapes
• Enable access, e.g. for inspection
• Enable reparability
Joints: Negative Aspects

• Introduce mechanical failure modes

• Introduce structural inefficiencies
• Extra work in manufacturing
• Cause of corrosion initiation
• Cause of leaks
• ………..
Rivets
WHAT DO RIVETS DO?
RIVETS TRANSMIT IN-PLANE FORCES FROM ONE THIN SECTION TO ANOTHER
Riveting
P P

Rivet
P P
P Left Plate P Left Plate
P P
The force exerted on The forces exerted on The force in the
the plate by the rivet the rivet by the plates rivet cross-section
 FAILURE OF RIVETS
SHEAR FAILURE P Left Plate
P
The force in the
rivet cross-section

• Rivet material fails because the

shear force in the plane of the s
rivet cross-sectional areas is too
large P
P

nr: number of rivets 𝑃

>𝜏
D: rivet diameter 𝜋 2
𝑛𝑟 𝐷
: rivet shear strength 4
𝑃
• To Prevent Failure ≤𝜏
𝜋 2
𝑛𝑟 𝐷
4 D
 FAILURE OF RIVETS P
BEARING FAILURE P Left Plate

The force exerted on

the plate by the rivet

• Plate fails because force

exerted by the rivet is to high s
t P
P

nr: number of rivets

𝑃
t: plate thickness > 𝜎𝑏
𝑛𝑟 𝐷 𝑡
D: rivet diameter
: plate material bearing strength 𝑃
• To Prevent Failure 𝑛𝑟 𝐷 𝑡
≤𝜎𝑏
D
 FAILURE OF RIVETS
TENSION FAILURE s
P P

• Plate fails in tension because

force in net section is too high s
P
P

nr: number of rivets 𝑃

t: plate thickness > 𝜎𝑡
𝑛𝑟 ( 𝑠 − 𝐷 ) 𝑡
S: rivet pitch
D: rivet diameter 𝑃
≤𝜎𝑡
: plate material tensile strength • To Prevent Failure 𝑛𝑟 ( 𝑠 − 𝐷 ) 𝑡
D
 FAILURE OF RIVETS l

PLATE SHEAR
P P
FAILURE

• Plate fails in shear because of

net section shear failure s
P
P

nr: number of rivets 𝑃

t: plate thickness >𝜏 𝑝
( 𝑛𝑟 ) 2 𝑙 𝑡
: plate material shear strength
𝑃
• To Prevent Failure ≤ 𝜏𝑝
( 𝑛𝑟 ) 2 𝑙 𝑡 D
Thank You!