Steel Fastening Techniques

Steel sections can be fastened using rivets, bolts, or welding.

A rivet is a steel fastener with a cylindrical shaft and a specially shaped head.

The rivet is heated to white heat in a forge, inserted while hot through the holes in the joining members, and then shaped with a pneumatic hammer to form a second head opposite the first

Typically, bolts are placed into holes that are one-sixteenth inch wider than the bolt diameter. Hardened steel washers are frequently placed beneath one or both ends of the bolt before the nut is screwed on.

Bolts are typically tightened with either a pneumatic or electric impact wrench.

In welding, an electrical potential is created between the steel pieces intended for joining and a metal electrode.

When the electrode is positioned near the seam of the steel members, it forms a continuous electric arc that melts a specific area of both the steel members and the electrode's tip, creating a molten puddle

The electrode is gradually moved along the seam, depositing a continuous bead of metal that solidifies, forming a seamless connection between the steel pieces.