Rivet shear stress

What does this quantity describe?

In a riveted joint loaded in shear, the transverse load F distributes evenly across all n load-carrying rivets and, for double-shear joints, additionally across both shear planes per rivet. Mean shear stress follows from τa = F/(m·n·A0), with A0 = π·d0²/4 the rivet cross-sectional area.

Picture several scissors working in parallel to cut through a sheet of paper: the more scissors (rivets) and the more blades per scissor (shear planes) act at once, the less force each individual blade must apply.

Formula and variables

τa = F / (m · n · A0)

• τa = F/(m·n·A0)
• A0 = π·d0²/4
• F = τa·m·n·A0

Choose the inputs correctly

Transverse load F, rivet hole diameter d0, number of load-carrying rivets n, and shear planes m (1 for single shear, 2 for double shear) set the mean shear stress.

How to use the calculator

Enter load, rivet diameter, rivet count and shear configuration to check shear stress. For a sizing question — how many rivets an allowable stress needs — use the linked required-rivet-count calculator instead.

Worked example

20,000 N over 4 double-shear rivets with a 10 mm diameter give τa = 20,000 N / (2 · 4 · 78.54 mm²) ≈ 31.8 MPa.

Understand the result and units

A shear stress of 31.8 MPa is well below typical allowable values of roughly 100 to 160 MPa for steel rivets; using single shear instead of double shear at otherwise equal values would double the stress to about 63.7 MPa.

Force is given in N, diameter in mm, and the resulting stress in MPa (N/mm²).

Single shear versus double shear

In a single-shear joint, the rivet transmits load across a single shear plane, for example when joining two overlapping plates. In a double-shear joint, such as a middle plate sandwiched between two straps, load transmits across two shear planes of the same rivet. Since both shear planes contribute in parallel, shear stress halves compared with the single-shear arrangement at otherwise equal values — a double-shear rivet of the same diameter carries twice the allowable load.

Typical applications

The calculation is used to check existing riveted joints and pre-size new ones in steel, machine and equipment construction, particularly where riveted joints underlie historically established designs.

Assumptions, limits and common mistakes

The model assumes even load sharing across all rivets and shear planes. Real rivet groups show unequal load shares, especially in larger groups, under eccentric loading, or when individual rivets fit more tightly than others; riveted joints can additionally fail through bearing or plate net-section failure, which must be checked separately.

Common mistake: A common mistake is overlooking shear plane count m and treating a double-shear joint as single shear, underestimating actual stress by a factor of 2. It is also easy to check only shear failure without also verifying the equally important bearing stress and plate net-section stress.