Structural Rivets in Construction

Riley the rivet lad with structural rivets in construction.

Huck rivets in steel construction.

Construction plays a vital role in the steel industry, accounting for over 50% of global steel demand. Ensuring resilience and strength in a diverse range of structures including houses, hospitals, schools, and high rises, In modern houses, there's been a  surge in the use of steel. It's not just a passing trend; it's reshaping how we build our homes. The incredible versatility of steel means you will find it in numerous building facets – from timeless Colorbond® roofing and steel frame walls through to essential downpipes and ventilation shafts. Anywhere you need a reliable connection you will need fasteners. 

When considering fasteners, there are countless options and among the vast offering you have the super strong Huck rivets!  The tried and tested high strength structural rivets. These heavy duty fasteners play an important role in construction, bringing a multitude of benefits and advantages. With structural rivets, you can enjoy enhanced durability, adaptability and cost-effectiveness because of their one side-installation process. A labour saving hassle-free fastener that is also low-maintenance. The set and forget fastener that have become the go-to option for numerous commercial and domestic construction projects. 

Aerobolt® specialise in delivering reliable riveting solutions for numerous building applications and understand that every construction project has its own set of demands and limitations. We offer a wide variety of Huck structural rivets and riveting tools, giving you the freedom to choose the perfect option for your specific application. Whether you require a structural rivet for a load bearing steel beam or a weather proof fastener for the roof we have a large range. Structural rivets work a little differently from your typical blind rivet. A structural rivet has a built in locking mechanism that is engineered to hold a portion of the pin inside the body of the rivet for extra strength compared to a general pupose pop rivet. This provides for

  • Increased Sear and Tensil strength. 
  • Higher resistance to vibration. 
  • Sometimes weather-proof.  
Union Station (U.S, Indiana) — featuring columns, girders, I-beams, and other parts assembled from steel plates and angles using structural rivets
Union Station (Indiana U.S) — featuring columns, girders, I-beams, and other parts assembled from steel plates and angles using structural rivets.

Huck structural rivets and modular construction.

The modern modular off-site construction industry consists of two distinct segments: re-locatable modular buildings and permanent modular buildings. Both segments involve manufacturing units off-site, which are then assembled on-site by stacking and/or adjoining the finished modules. Huck structural rivets are the ideal choice for fastening applications in modular construction due to their secure, quick, and easy installation.

Re-locatable Modular – These temporary modular buildings are ideal for situations that demand quick construction. They must also be durable enough for future relocation and repurposing. Examples include: temporary classrooms, bathroom cabins, communication pods, show rooms, job / site trailers and glamping pods. 

Permanent Modular Construction (PMC) – PMCs are designed to remain in one location for an extended period of time. Examples include: schools / student accommodation, healthcare facilities, hotels, and restaurants.

The key benefits of using Huck rivets in the above-mentioned applications include:

  • Single (or blind) side assembly for faster installation: With blind side assembly, there is no need to access the back of the joint, resulting in quicker and more efficient installation.
  • Exceptional robustness and durability: Huck rivets provide a mechanically activated permanent joining solution, ensuring strong and long-lasting connections.
  • Simple and efficient installation with air or cordless Huck tools: Installing Huck rivets requires minimal effort and training, thanks to the user-friendly design of the air and cordless tools.
  • Design flexibility with a wide range of rivet types and materials: Huck offers a diverse selection of rivets, allowing for customization and adaptation to suit various applications.
  • Easy inspection and maintenance without expensive equipment: Quality control is made easier as Huck rivets can be inspected and maintained without the need for costly specialised equipment.

Enhanced on-site productivity during the assembly phase ensures that the cost savings of modular builds can increase with production scale. Offsite assembly based on ‘template’ builds means that approved designs can be reused and mass produced quickly and easily. These savings can grow rapidly, making it easy to achieve much faster output with less waste, downtime due to environmental effects, reduced labour and energy costs – all significantly lowering production / installation costs per unit. Huck® rivets offer a wide range of permanent joining solutions that will both maximise efficiencies and offer a maintenance-free, vibration-resistant joint for the full service-life of the structure.

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A modular steel framing system ready to be shipped to the construction site.

Huck® rivets have high tensile, shear, and clamp properties, making them suitable for applications where joints are integral to the structure. They offer a clean and safe alternative to welding and a more efficient fastening method than standard nuts and bolts. 

Huck® structural blind rivet fasteners advantages.

Huck structural rivets provide durable, vibration-resistant fastening solutions, along with several other benefits including:

Performance and quality – Huck rivets are meticulously designed to meet precise installation standards needed for prefabricated structures. In the rigorous journey of modular buildings, they must endure the vibrations and jolts while being transported on trucks, as well as the strains of craning to their designated final location. Once positioned, these buildings face nature's challenges, braving the scorching sun, gusts of wind, and relentless rain – consistently demonstrating their resilience and durability

Lifetime costs With Huck® rivets, you can achieve considerable cost savings both during the fabrication process and throughout the product's lifetime, as Huck stands synonymous with durability. Few fastener options can claim to last forever, but Huck rivets rise above the rest. By opting for Huck rivets, you gain access to maintenance-free, vibration-resistant joints that remain intact throughout the entire lifespan of the joint. In addition, these rivets offer various other benefits, including swift and effortless installation, without the need for skilled labor.
 

Huck Rivet Types.

When access is limited to only one side of the joint material, performance-engineered Huck® structural rivets offer the ideal solution. These rivets are designed and engineered to overcome common manufacturing obstacles. Their diverse range of features allows them to excel in hole-filling, water-resistance, accommodating wide grip ranges, and even serve as a welding alternative. These rivets ensure high-speed assembly while delivering effective and tailored solutions that meet your unique manufacturing requirements.

The HuckLok® and the Magna-Lok® are two highly popular Huck® blind fasteners extensively employed in modular construction. These fasteners possess exceptional features that set them apart, such as a distinctive mechanical lock ensuring optimal strength in loaded conditions and the ability to completely fill holes, enhancing moisture resistance.

HuckLok® - The multi-grip super strong Huck structural rivet.

Hucklok® stands out as a superior high strength twofold locking rivet with remarkable flexibility in accommodating various material depths. Its design boasts a multi-grip capacity and a large bulb footprint that delivers an exceptional grip while effectively preventing pull through. Intelligently engineered features of the HuckLok® truly exemplifies cleverness. Moreover, this rivet guarantees consistent and repeatable clamping strength, specifically tailored for structural applications, offering unrivaled shear strength compared to other multi-grip rivets in the market.  

Magna-Lok® - The perfect all-rounder blind structural rivet.

The Huck® Magna-Lok® is a versatile, hole filling fastener that can be installed with Huck® installation tools. It has a unique circle-lock feature, allowing a simple visual inspection to ensure it is installed properly, 100% of the time. Magna-Lok® is moisture-resistant rivet, available in steel, 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel or aluminium in diameters from 4.8 mm (3/16") and 6.4 mm (1/4") to 12.7 mm (1/2"). With a large grip range, the Magna-Lok® is the best gap-pulling fastener available, and provides a secure joint that is vibration resistant.

Structural Rivet Types.

Bulb-Tite Rivets - Tri Folding Load Spreading Aluminum Rivets.

These rivets have a slotted body that form a propeller shape blind-side anchor upon installation. The Bulb-Tite® and many other Tri-Folding structural rivets spread their clamping force through their anchor blades which combines with a washer to provide a waterproof joint. Great for motor body fabrication where composite materials like those associated with refrigerated or pantech trucks are used. Select Bulbtites are also used in the installation of safety roof anchor points  including the fall arrest systems + the rope access systems. Read how the Bulb-Tite is better than Tri-fold rivet. 

Allok® Rivets - Stuctural rivets that locks both sides of the material.

Allok® structural rivets feature a double-locking system that interlocks the material on both sides of the 'panel for better security, providing a vibration and weather resistant joint. Allok®  rivets work well within a limited material grip range and have a compact non-protruding blind side bulb that spreads the load, whilst avoiding pull-through. An easy to install rivet via a Huck gun  or a structural rivet tools as a standard rivet gun is not engineered to install structural rivets. Also known as Orlock® rivets, High Strength Rivets or Hemlok® rivets.  

Sydney's leading industrial rivet supplier.

Aerobold® should be your first option when considering a rivet supplies ss we have a comprehensive range of standard blind rivets like the Open-End Rivets, or Sealed Rivets right through to the specialised Tri-Fold rivets or Peeled rivets. Including, the supply of the structural rivet like the ¼’ Magna-Lok® Huck rivets or the hard-to-find 5/16” countersunk Orlock® rivets. Aerobolt®is all these things and so much more with a wide range of rivets, along with air rivet guns, and the cordless options. 

Rivet Suppliers for the construction sector summary.

Modular construction is not a new concept; however, today's volumetric modular off-site construction has evolved significantly from the pre-fab buildings of the 1940s and 1950s. These structures have undergone a series of innovative improvements and have attracted substantial investment. Modern construction methods are revolutionizing the way we work and live, enabling us to meet the sustainability and efficiency requirements of the twenty-first century.

By installing HuckBolts® and Huck® structural blind fasteners, an engineer can count on many benefits including:

  • Maintenance-free: The use of HuckBolts® and Huck® structural blind fasteners ensures a long-lasting and low-maintenance solution, reducing the need for frequent upkeep.
  • Lower lifetime cost: With their reliable performance and durability, these fasteners contribute to lower lifetime costs, saving money over extended periods.
  • Enhanced stability: Under extreme vibration, HuckBolts® and Huck® structural blind fasteners exhibit exceptional resistance to loosening, providing peace of mind and maintaining structural integrity.
  • Tamper-proof joints: The tamper-proof nature of these fasteners ensures robust and secure joints, guarding against unauthorized access and potential tampering.
  • Streamlined installation processes: Incorporating HuckBolts® and Huck® structural blind fasteners results in streamlined installation processes, potentially reducing production time by up to 75%. This efficiency leads to faster project completion and increased productivity.
  • Improved occupational health and safety: By utilising Huck fasteners instead of traditional methods (such as welding), occupational health and safety standards are enhanced, reducing on-site risks and promoting a safer working environment for engineers and construction workers.

Aerobolt's dedicated support team aims to elevate customer experience by providing comprehensive assistance throughout the design, development, and testing stages. We excel in selecting suitable installation tools, ensuring accurate fastener installation, and optimising processes. The Huck® fastener range remains our primary focus due to its reliability and efficiency, enabling hassle-free assembly in modular building and various other construction applications.