What is joint efficiency in riveted joints?

Ratio of joint strength to solid plate strength. Good design: 70–90%.

Typical rivet pitch and margin?

Pitch p = 3d, Margin m = 1.5d, Row distance g = 2.5d.

Rivet Joint Design

Design lap and butt riveted joints: calculate shear, bearing, tearing strength, pitch, margin and joint efficiency. Determines governing failure mode and safety factor.

Joint Strength

285 kN

Double cover butt, 8 rivets, d=16mm

Riveted Joint Strength

Featured: Shear, Bearing, Tearing • Lap/Butt • Efficiency

Tensile Load P (kN)

Plate Thickness t (mm)

Plate Width w (mm)

Joint Type

Rivet Diameter d (mm)

Rivets per Row

Number of Rows

Rivet Shear τ (MPa)

Plate Tensile σ (MPa)

Bearing σ_b (MPa)

Joint Strength vs Number of Rivets

Shear, Bearing & Tearing capacity comparison

Failure Modes

Shear: P_s = n × (πd²/4) × τ × s
Bearing: P_b = n × d × t × σ_b
Tearing: P_t = (w - n_d × d) × t × σ

Enter parameters to see results

Riveted Joint Guidelines

Standard Dimensions

Rivet dia d: ≈ 1.5–2 × t

Pitch p: 3d

Margin m: 1.5d

Row distance: 2.5d

Typical Strengths

Steel rivet shear: 80–120 MPa

Plate tensile: 250–400 MPa

Bearing: 300–500 MPa