Riveted Joints in Aircraft Structures

Joining methods are widely used in the applications of aerospace industries. The aircraft structure consists mainly of assemblies that need various ways to join them to achieve the required functions. Riveted joints have many benefits and remain popular in classic and modern aircraft structures. They can resist vibration, heat, and pressure expansion better than other joints, especially on the thin, delicate sheet metal often used to build aircraft. This chapter investigates the riveted joints in aircraft structures. The chapter provides an overview of different joining methods and their significance for aircraft structures. It then describes the typical riveted joints in aircraft assemblies and their classifications. It also gives a brief description of the modern processing techniques in riveted joints. After that, it discusses the factors that affect the damage to riveted joints. Finally, a case study is presented on single-riveted and double-riveted joints, connecting aerospace-grade aluminum alloys as well as being compared with an adhesively bonded joint as an alternative to riveted joints.