Tensile Load Distribution Improvement of Three-Row Riveted Lap Joint Based on Different Squeezing Displacement Combinations

Abstract

Many previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of riveting parameters on single-row riveted lap joints. Little attention has been paid to multi-row riveted lap joints. The outer rows of a normal multi-row riveted lap joint usually bear a larger part of the tensile load. However, none of the studies relate the phenomenon to the squeezing displacement combination of a multi-row riveted lap joint. To improve the performance of a three-row riveted lap joint, this paper aims to reveal the internal relation between tensile load distribution, structural deformation and squeezing displacement combination. Theoretical discussion, numerical simulation and an experimental test have been conducted. Four different squeezing displacement combinations have been studied. The result indicates that an appropriate squeezing displacement combination can effectively make tensile load distribution more homogeneous. Each rivet can take approximately 33% tensile load. Structural deformation magnitude can be reduced as well. Compared with the worst situation, at the region most sensitive to tensile load, the max strain value can reduce about 53.22–79.76%. A suitable squeeze displacement combination is a simple approach for the performance enhancement of a three-row riveted lap joint. It can be practically applied in aircraft manufacturing without any additional equipment or skill learning.