Proceedings of the Thirty-second (2022) International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference
Shanghai, China, June 5–10, 2022
Copyright © 2022 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE)
ISBN 978-1-880653-81-4; ISSN 1098-6189

www.isope.org

Experimental investigations on joints with blind rivets to extend the design rules according toEUROCODE 3 for lightweight steel structures made of high-strength steels
Florian Kalkowsky a, Ralf Glienke b, Maik Dörre a, Knuth-Michael Henkel cba Mechanical Joining Technology, Fraunhofer IGP, Rostock, Germany
Department of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Technology, Wismar, Germany
cDepartment of Mechanical and Ship Engineering, Joining Technology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

ABSTRACTThe strength verification of blind rivet connections can be done acc. tothe DIN EN 1993-1-3. Linked to the design equations from this standard
are uncertainties in the design. These uncertainties must be eliminatedthrough individual case studies. Furthermore, blind rivets areincreasingly being used in constructions that are exposed to cyclicalloads. This means that the fatigue strength verification for this type ofconnection is also coming to the fore. However, there are no normativerequirements for this verification. These open questions in the design are
to be considered. For this purpose, results from quasi-static and fatigue
tests on joints with blind rivets are presented and were used to derive
generally valid design rules.

Fig. 1 Bearing type connections with blind rivets in high-rack warehouseand roof cladding with components made of high-strength steel
Nevertheless, the opening of the design rule and the use of higherstrength steels in such constructions is not always associated to the sameextent of increasing load-bearing capacities from the static and fatigue
strength verifications. In the static strength verification for connections
with blind rivets, there are still limiting boundary conditions that canonly be broken through cost- and time-intensive as well as complex caseby-case investigations. Furthermore, also in the fatigue strengthverification according to EC3 Part 1-9 (DIN EN 1993-1-9:2010-12,2010), the increasing material strength and the connection configuration
are not yet sufficiently taken into account. Due to the lack of normative
design rules, the use of high-strength steels and blind rivets results inopen questions for the structural engineer regarding the load-bearing
behaviour of the connection and its fatigue resistance. The authors
address these questions and give recommendations for the design of suchconnections.

KEY WORDS
blind rivet connection; bearing type connection; high-strength steel;
fatigue resistance; EUROCODE 3INTRODUCTION
High-strength steels have been the state of the art in many technical areasfor years, e.g. in the field of crane construction or the automotive
industry and are the subject of further development. This trend is also
followed by the field of lightweight steel and steel construction, which
experienced an opening of its design rules according to EUROCODE 3 by
the extension with Part 1-12 (DIN EN 1993-1-12:2010-12, 2010) forsteels up to a yield strength of 700 N/mm². This made it possible to use
high-strength steels from then on and thus to advance the idea oflightweight construction. This was also the case, for example, in roof
claddings or modern logistics centres with their high rack warehousesystems in Fig. 1. Especially the high rack warehouse systems, whichhave a fully or partially automated loading traffic, experience fatigue
loads in addition to static loads. For this reason, beside a static strengthverification, a fatigue strength verification is also required.

DESIGN OF BEARING TYPE CONNECTIONS WITH
BLIND RIVETS
Connections can be subjected to both static and cyclic loads. In bothcases, a strength verification is required for both parts of the connection,
the fastener and the component. The EUROCODE 3 Part 1-3(DIN EN 1993-1-3:2010-12, 2010) defines for blind rivet connections inlightweight steel constructions a static strength verification. The
inequalities shown here, describe the verification against shear failure of561